Meet the Expert – José Ángel Pedrido

I graduated in 1993 from the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and joined Hypor in 2003 as a technical service representative. After advancing in the organization, I've held the position of Veterinarian and Technical Service Manager in Europe, helping European customers to increase their production performance and profitability. I advise our customers on several topics such as feeding, health, diseases control, biosecurity, sows and piglets management, technical audits.

More than an inspiration was a phone call! Jokes aside, from the time I was in university, I had a clear ambition to work in the field of feeding people (feed companies, swine, and poultry industries). After two years working in a feed company (and after a phone call), I began working in a swine production company and immediately realized that it was my place in the world.

I would say that is my capacity to build strength and trust in relationships. This a very specialized business and customers need to be confident in the company, the products, and the people (since the people build the companies!). The value of technical service is our knowledge, but to have knowledge you only need the interest and time to learn. To build a trusting relationship you need to consider everything else. And you only have one chance to make a good first impression!

In all the cases of helping the customer to solve some problems or increase the performance of his farms. But specially in the cases of diseases eradication programs, it’s always a rewarding challenge.

For example, we were able to eradicate Mycoplasma Hyopneumoniae in one of our nucleus farms in Spain and, for sure, the most rewarding for me was, not the success of the eradication but to be able to get the commitment of the staff of the farm and to see all the team working as a one unit with the same goal.

With some challenges but a brilliant future. World populations are growing, and we have to feed them! Western Europe is a mature market with a declining meat consumption, but the situation in Eastern Europe situation is better, and some areas as Asia and Latam have a brilliant future with growing markets.

In terms of challenges, the swine industry has room for improvement in some aspects: sustainability, the impact of the farms in the environment, greenhouse gases emissions, the “image” of our business in society (we should be seen part of the solution, never part of the problem).

I should say sports but… In the spring and summer, I try to walk with my wife a couple of hours in the evenings (when I have time) in the forests we have around our home. But most of my free time I am always reading books, newspapers. At minimum I read one hour every night before sleeping. During the week and when travelling, I read mainly novels. Weekends, with more time I read some history, essays, and I like to be updated on the countries I visit for my work (some history, culture, gastronomy of the different countries). And a couple of years ago, my wife gave me an ukelele. I’m about to start learning to play it!