AFB Welcomes Elizabeth Donald, PhD – Vice President, Research & Development

Joining AFB as the VP of Research and Development is a great opportunity to partner with a growing organization that’s really focused on delivering something amazing for those important members of our family – our pets. I also find the degree of passion that my colleagues have for this industry and what we do to be very compelling.  Everyone is invested in understanding what drives palatability and how we can use that knowledge to support our customers in new and dynamic ways.

A CULTURE OF INCLUSION

That passion is also reflected in the culture at AFB.  I see a culture of inclusion where there really is a connection with colleagues.   While each of us wants to succeed individually, there is also a desire for the company to succeed as a whole.  Seeing everyone working toward mutual success is very fulfilling, both personally and professionally.

MEETING CUSTOMER NEEDS

I’m also impressed with AFB’s focus on customer success.  As the pet food landscape changes and progresses, so do the challenges our customers are facing.  For example, as the trend of pet humanization continues to become even more entrenched, pet parents want food with the same label claims for their food reflected in the food they feed their pets.  This creates a variety of challenges for pet food manufacturers that may include creating new formulations, restrictions on raw materials or regulatory requirements.  So that means we also need to be more creative.  We need to be purposeful about the solutions we’re delivering so that they are harmonious with the products our customers are developing.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATION

But that also means exciting things for AFB.  We are greatly positioned for future innovation.  To me, innovation is understanding our current capabilities, and also imagining what they could be.  It’s tempting to rest on the status quo, to think that we’ve done enough, or all we can do.  But the fact of the matter is that we are constantly finding new ways and new needs to address, and that is definitely fuel for innovation. There are always new opportunities to explore.

REACH OUT AND CONNECT

If you are interested in learning more about AFB’s capabilities, please contact me at eldonald@afbinternational.com.  I look forward to hearing from you.