Nutrition is emerging as a powerful tool for preventing disease and strengthening immunity in livestock. Changemakers leading this shift explore the opportunities and hurdles that will shape evidence generation, farmer adoption, and the scaling of preventative nutrition across global production systems.
- Evidence generation – building the data to prove measurable impact on health and productivity
- Scaling adoption – integrating precision nutrition into commercial production systems
Livestock
Biopharma
Nutrition
Moderator
Aaron Schacht
CEO
BiomEdit
Panellists
Hannah McIver
CEO & President
Microsintesis
Patrick Meeus
Managing Director – Innovation
Nutreco
Monoclonal antibodies are redefining therapeutic possibilities in animal health, offering precise, targeted alternatives to traditional treatments. With next-generation innovation expanding into new disease areas and species, changemakers at the forefront examine the opportunities and hurdles that will shape development, approval, and adoption.
- Regulatory pathways – navigating approval processes for novel biologics
- Clinical adoption – driving veterinary education and confidence in new therapies
Companion
Biopharma
Moderator
Denise Bevers
CEO
VETmAb BIO
Panellists
Steve Nanchen
Senior Director, External Innovation
Elanco
Mel Munro
Global Strategy and Development Lead
Knoell
Theo Kanellos
Vice President, Strategic Alliances
Ceva Santé Animale
Theo Kanellos is a veterinarian with postgraduate studies in business and life sciences to a PhD level. During his career he worked as a clinician, an academic, a governmental official and for the last fifteen years as part of the management within the Pharmaceutical Industry where he has held several strategic roles. He has managed research laboratories, business development transactions, scientific and multi-functional alliances teams and programmes in several organisations that have led to the spinoff of biotechnology companies, the award of significant scientific grants, the founding of major strategic partnerships and the registration and licensing of successful commercial products and services. In his current role as the Director of Commercial Alliances in Zoetis he establishes entrepreneurial partnerships with companies, VCs, universities, and governmental institutions, internationally. He holds a visiting professorship at the School of Health and Medicine at the University of Surrey and is a board member of the Pirbright Institute in UK, the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) in Africa and head of the action groups of the One Health Platform. He is the author of more than 30 peered reviewed papers and has given numerous presentations in several national and international conferences. His articles have also featured in many trade and public media.
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent challenges in animal and human health, demanding new approaches beyond traditional antibiotics. Changemakers developing preventative strategies and non-antibiotic alternatives explore the opportunities and hurdles that will define how these tools expand the veterinary toolkit, reduce dependence, and safeguard vital medicines.
- Market positioning – differentiating alternatives from traditional antibiotics
- Adoption drivers – proving cost-effectiveness and securing veterinary and farmer buy-in
Livestock
Companion
Nutrition
Biopharma
Diagnostics
Technology
Moderator
Carel du Marchie Sarvaas
Executive Director
HealthforAnimals
Panellists
Tom Weaver
Co-Founder & Chairman
PetMedix & ArkVax
Martha Scott Poindexter
CEO
Animal Health Institute
Point-of-care diagnostics are transforming everyday veterinary practice, enabling earlier detection and faster decision-making. Changemakers explore the latest advances in point-of-care tools, their role in improving outcomes, and the challenges of validation, adoption, and integration into workflows.
- Validation – generating clinical evidence to support regulatory approval and vet adoption
- Integration – embedding diagnostics into workflows for scale and commercial uptake
Livestock
Companion
Diagnostics
Technology
Moderator
Joseph Harvey
Head of Animal Health
S&P Global
Panellists
Richard Mellanby
Global Head of Medical Innovation and Strategy
IDEXX
Dr. Michelle Larsen
Head of Diagnostic Medical Platforms, Clinical Studies & Education, Global Diagnostics
Zoetis
Ben Johnson BVetMed MRCVS
Founding Director
Pet Practice Partners
Veterinary associations recommend regular parasite control and diagnostics to prevent transmission. However, parasiticides face growing scrutiny over environmental and health concerns. With resistance increasing, changemakers are developing innovative solutions, ranging from new treatments to advanced diagnostics and targeted delivery, ensuring long-term protection for animals and humans.
- Market differentiation – demonstrating value of novel products in a crowded market
- Adoption hurdles – balancing efficacy, cost, and stewardship to drive uptake
Livestock
Companion
Biopharma
Diagnostics
Moderator
Panellists
Pieter-Jan Serreyn
Technical Director
AnimalHealthEurope
Andreas Kastenbauer
Partner
MIG Capital
Dawn Howard
CEO
NOAH
Ashwani Sharma
Co-Founder and Co-CEO
ASTRA Therapeutics
Advances in genetics and genomics are enabling faster progress in productivity, welfare, and disease resistance across livestock species. Changemakers highlight the changemakers applying genomic selection, gene editing, and advanced breeding strategies to improve animal health outcomes and productivity.
- Regulatory pathways – navigating approval and acceptance of genomic technologies
- Market adoption – demonstrating value to farmers and integrating innovation into breeding programs
Livestock
Companion
Diagnostics
Technology
Biopharma
Moderator
Clint Nesbitt
Global Director of Regulatory and External Affairs
Genus PLC
Panellists
Dr Eve Hanks
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
MI:RNA Diagnostics
Owen Willems
Global Director R&D and Innovation
Hendrix Genetics
Alan Liu
Principal, Planetary Health Investments
Novo Holdings
Nutrition-based therapies are redefining companion animal care, offering evidence-driven approaches to manage metabolic, inflammatory, and chronic conditions. With advances moving from research to practice, changemakers at the forefront of science and product development explore the opportunities and hurdles that will shape clinical validation, adoption, and long-term impact.
- Clinical validation – generating evidence to secure veterinary confidence and consumer trust
- Market adoption – positioning nutrition as a credible option to treat chronic disease
Companion
Nutrition
Moderator
Julie Lawless
President
Lawless Strategic Communications
Panellists
Rosa Carbonell
President, Head of B2B & Veterinary Affairs
FEDIAF, Nestle Purina
Courtney Miller
Chief Veterinary & Innovation Officer
Vetnique
Chelsie Estey
Chief Veterinary Officer
Hill's Pet Nutrition
Cell and gene therapies are redefining the possibilities of veterinary medicine offering the potential to repair, replace, and restore biological function. With the first approvals expected as early as 2026, changemakers at the forefront of research and commercialisation explore the opportunities and hurdles that will define their path to clinical adoption.
- Clinical adoption – building veterinary trust and integrating into practice workflows
- Distribution – ensuring stability, scalability, and accessibility
Companion
Biopharma
Moderator
Cindy Cole
Partner
Digitalis Ventures
Dr. Cindy Cole is a Technical Partner at Digitalis Ventures and an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Florida. Prior to joining Digitalis she was in the animal health industry for many years holding senior leadership and R&D roles at Mars Petcare, Novartis Animal Health, IDEXX, and Piedmont Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Cole completed her DVM and PhD at the University of Florida and was on the faculty of the University of California, Davis and UF.
Panellists
Linda Black
CEO
Gallant
Thomas Koch
Founder, CEO & CSO
eQcell Inc
Julia Loew
Chief Commercial Officer
MWI Animal Health
Artificial intelligence can play a vital role by enabling predictive analytics to help farmers anticipate productivity changes and prevent health issues before they escalate. Hear from the changemakers applying data-driven insights to deliver measurable health and productivity gains across livestock systems.
- Demonstrating ROI – building the evidence base to drive farmer adoption
- Data – overcoming the challenge of dispersed datasets from farms, labs and clinics
- Route to market – integrating AI tools into existing farm management systems
Livestock
Nutrition
Diagnostics
Technology
Moderator
Claudia Stuckmann-Invernizzi
Angel Investor, Advisor
Panellists
Paul Horwood
UK Head of Farm
IVC Evidensia
Robert Hyde
Co-Founder and CTO
Vet Vision AI
Keith Gue
Director
Huddlestone Farmers Ltd.