Xiuzhen Zhang (Julia) has been appointed new vice president and commercial manager China, Aviagen Asia. Minquing Gu has been promoted to area technical manager China.
Zhang graduated in 1994 with a degree in foreign trade. In 1995, she joined the team responsible for the growing the Arbor Acres poultry breeding business in China. She became a strong asset in all aspects of the business including, marketing, trade shows, customers schools, import documentation, procurement, financial management and human resources.
She embarked on an MBA program in Canada in 1998, graduating from Memorial University of Newfoundland 18 months later before she returned to Aviagen just after the acquisition of Arbor Acres in 1999. She resumed her responsibilities in the larger, rapidly expanding team and has continued to play a central role in the company for the next 15 years as the business grew and maintained its leading share in the Chinese market.
Aviagen Asia has also promoted Minqing Gu to area technical manager China. Gu is a graduate of Shanghai Agricultural College where he completed a four year course in Animal Husbandry. Immediately after graduation, he joined Shanghai Dajiang Co. Ltd in a technical service role in the grandparent production team. Gu then assumed responsibility as Grandparent Farm Manager before he was promoted to production manager for the Grandparent Operation.
After 15 years at Shanghai Dajiang Co. Ltd, Gu accepted a position with Aviagen in China as a technical service manager based in the Beijing office. Gu was responsible for technical service to a growing customer base in China. In 2012, he was promoted to Technical Coordinator for the Chinese team managing the technical support for grandparents and parent stock for all commercial products in the domestic market.