SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. — Cobb-Vantress LLC announces the appointment of three accomplished executives to its leadership team, adding that these strategic moves underscore its commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable global growth.
Will Sawyer has been promoted to vice president, global business operations and strategy. Since joining Cobb in December 2024 as managing director of global supply chain and strategy, Sawyer has been instrumental in advancing key initiatives across the organization. In his expanded role, he will lead global planning, marketing, communications, and IT — driving alignment and innovation across these critical business functions, Cobb said.
Sawyer brings industry expertise, having held senior leadership roles at Tyson Foods, most recently as senior director of strategy for the Poultry segment. His background also includes serving as lead industry analyst for animal porotein at CoBank and holding leadership roles at Rabobank. He began his career as a research analyst at Credit Suisse, building a strong foundation in financial and strategic analysis.
Dr. Matilde Alfonso joins Cobb as vice president, sales and technical services, bringing more than 25 years of strategic and technical leadership in the poultry industry. Most recently, she served as manager of veterinary technical services at Ceva Animal Health LLC. Her prior experience includes key leadership roles at Tyson Foods, including director of breeder and hatchery operations.
Alfonso’s extensive operational knowledge and global perspective will be pivotal in leading Cobb’s sales, technical services, quality assurance, and veterinary functions, the company added.
As Chris Lewellen, current vice president of finance and accounting, prepares to retire after 27 years of dedicated service, Leandro Farias will assume the role of managing director, finance and accounting.
Farias brings more than two decades of finance experience across the chemicals, automotive, food, and poultry genetics sectors. He joined Tyson in 2009 and later transitioned to Cobb-Vantress Brazil in 2015, where he has served as director of finance for operations in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia since 2019.
“I am excited to announce Will and Leandro’s new roles and also welcome Matilde to our leadership team,” Shelby Watkins, Cobb president, said. “Their combined experience, strategic vision, and leadership will be vital as we continue to scale our global operations and deliver exceptional value to our customers and partners around the world.”
Cobb Research Initiative
Cobb-Vantress also announces the recipients of the 2025 Cobb Research Initiative (CRI) grants. This year, seven innovative projects have been selected for funding.
The CRI is designed to advance the science of poultry genetics by fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration. These partnerships play a critical role in addressing key challenges — ranging from disease prevention and animal welfare to production efficiency and product quality, the company noted.
“This year marked a milestone for the CRI, with a record number of proposals submitted,” Dr. William Herring, Cobb vice president of research and development, said. “By combining cutting-edge technology with deep scientific expertise, we’re addressing the most pressing challenges in poultry production and advancing the future of genetics. We’re excited to see the impact these collaborations will have across the industry and beyond.”
With a focus on enhancing the performance and resilience of Cobb breeding stock, the CRI aims to strengthen the global poultry supply chain and deliver long-term value to producers and consumers alike, the company said. By engaging researchers from diverse fields, the initiative continues to uncover new insights and develop tools that support genetic innovation.
“At Cobb, our commitment to progress is rooted in strategic partnerships,” Watkins added. “By supporting these forward-thinking projects, we’re accelerating discovery, driving genetic progress, and helping provide more innovative solutions for our customers.”
For more information about the CRI, and the full list of recipients, visit www.cobbgenetics.com/cri.
