In the dynamic field of animal nutrition, innovation is paramount, and Lallemand Animal Nutrition stands at the forefront of this revolution. At the helm is Mathieu Castex, the newly appointed general manager, whose extensive background in animal sciences and microbiology brings a fresh perspective to the business's mission. Under Castex's leadership, Lallemand will continue pushing the boundaries of microbial solutions, developing groundbreaking applications that enhance gut microbiomes and modulate immune responses in animals. In this insightful interview, Castex shares his vision for fostering a culture of innovation, discusses key initiatives, and offers a glimpse into the future of microbial technologies in animal nutrition.
[Feedinfo] As the newly appointed General Manager of Lallemand Animal Nutrition, can you share the events and achievements in your career that have uniquely prepared you for this role?
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[Mathieu Castex] My progression into this role has been a natural journey over many years. Early on, I developed a passion for animal sciences, particularly physiology and microbiology, and growing up in a farming community made this career path feel inevitable. I was fortunate to join a company with a team of mentors who have extensive experience in animal nutrition and share my enthusiasm. Their guidance has been crucial to my development, allowing me to learn from experts both internally and among our partners. My career at Lallemand has been an incredible journey, shaped by the company’s dedication to creativity and a willingness to take risks in pursuit of success. |
Mathieu Castex, General Manager, Lallemand Animal Nutrition |
Since I joined in 2006, Lallemand has grown significantly, but we’ve remained committed to these core values. I’ve been fortunate to work in various roles across the business, including R&D, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, and business development. These experiences have equipped me to lead our team effectively. I take pride in building a strong model of cross-functional collaboration and strategic partnerships with customers and innovation partners to maintain our customer-driven approach.
Lallemand's decision to promote from within for the new general manager role highlights the strength of our executive team and reinforces our commitment to recognizing dedication and hard work.
[Feedinfo] With your extensive experience in leadership, what is your personal philosophy on fostering innovation within the organisation? How do you encourage your team to push boundaries and develop groundbreaking solutions?
[Mathieu Castex] My approach focuses on fostering a culture of innovation and building synergy between R&D, marketing, technical services, and internal operations. By encouraging cross-functional collaboration, we work together toward common objectives.A prime example of this teamwork is the development of our yeast derivatives product portfolio, which emerged from the combined efforts of various business segments of the Lallemand group, from strain screening to manufacturing. We emphasize a culture of experimentation, where both successes and failures are learning opportunities, allowing our innovation process to be driven by passion, curiosity, and continuous improvement beyond strategic planning.
[Feedinfo] Lallemand has established collaborations with academic institutions and industry partners. How do these partnerships enhance your R&D efforts, and what value do they bring to the company, its customers and the industry?
[Mathieu Castex] Over the past decade, we have focused on building a diverse team dedicated to advancing microbial-based solutions. Through our Centers of Excellence and applied R&D team, we have developed key partnerships with research institutes and this has been crucial in deepening our understanding of microbial systems in animals, from discovering new features of microorganisms, new organisms to identifying biomarkers and applications.
Developing such a network of scientific collaborations is an inherent part of our DNA, and we are committed to advancing this mission. I am pleased to announce that we are developing a new Center of Excellence, in partnership with a major research institution in France. This center will focus on investigating some underexplored aspects of beneficial bacteria. Additionally, as part of our reorganization of the R&D team, we are excited to welcome a new Head of the Center of Excellence.
[Feedinfo] Considering Lallemand's commitment to research and development, can you provide detailed insights into the current investment strategies in R&D?
[Mathieu Castex] The microbiology field is rapidly evolving, opening a myriad of opportunities. However it's easy to lose direction by pursuing too many avenues. We are committed to selecting the most promising avenues and transform scientific discoveries into practical, actionable products and applications. At Lallemand, our focus on microbial-based solutions has allowed us to deepen our expertise, learning from both successes and failures in product development.
Our innovation strategy is centered around four key microbial platforms, which shape both our current offerings and future technologies. These platforms are designed to align with our industrial strengths, future customer needs, and the regulatory hurdles we face in accessing new markets. We’re committed to ensuring our investments match these platforms, like our new lab in France, which adds nearly 800 square meters dedicated to bioprocess innovation and animal nutrition research.
[Feedinfo] Can you share more about the most exciting technological advancements and projects currently in development at Lallemand?
[Mathieu Castex] We're actively researching new and existing probiotic strains to understand their behavior in various animal environments. Our new Center of Excellence will play a crucial role in advancing this research. Another important focus is our work on yeast fractions and we are now applying those principles to bacteria, particularly investigating how cell membrane and organelles modulate immune responses for instance. We are also investing significant resources into research on bioprocesses, not only to develop production process to growth new strains, but also to develop processes to continue to improve the applicability and performances of our products.
Additionally, we are committed to minimizing animal manipulation and limiting the use of invasive practices, developing new in vitro and in vivo methodologies to align with welfare principles. Our aim is to create a platform to showcase product performance internally and optimize applications, giving customers the ability to observe outcomes. Soon, we'll announce a new platform to showcase product efficacy through practical animal indicators.
We are also making significant investments in the companion animal sector, recently launching a new branding strategy with the Lalprobiome product range. This is backed by substantial investment in innovative concepts and products for the pet food industry. For example, our published research highlights the use of a specific probiotic strain during gestation and lactation in dogs, supporting the concept of maternal imprinting in dogs.
Additionally, we continue to explore the link between microbiology and nutrition, studying how microbial solutions affect gut microbiomes and nutrient absorption, and how this can impact feed formulation.
Lastly, sustainability is a key focus. We're working on quantifying and optimizing the environmental footprint of our solutions, assessing their impact on farm sustainability, and the impact of beneficial microbes on farm emissions.
[Feedinfo] What is your long-term vision for Lallemand Animal Nutrition, and how do you plan to navigate the company towards achieving it?
[Mathieu Castex] Our long-term vision at Lallemand Animal Nutrition is to stay true to what’s made us successful: a deep expertise in microorganism technology, the understanding of our customers ‘problematics and a strong focus on our customers. We want to grow into new areas we’re not covering yet, while continuing to lead in our current markets through extended services and technologies.
Probiotics didn’t become industry staples overnight—lots of effort went into informing the market and proving their value through research end experiences.We remain committed to that while we contribute turning science on beneficial microbes into practical applications, which is a challenging yet crucial endeavor.
Our goal is to lead the way in creating the next generation of microbial innovations, all while continuing to deliver the high-quality service our customers expect. We’re expanding into new species, territories, and applications while staying true to our core strengths.
