Read the Conversation
Conversation highlights:
- CEVA´s Mission and Focus on the “One Health” principle: feed the world safely while respecting animal welfare, biodiversity, and public health
- Argentina as a Strategic Platform: Argentina offers unmatched livestock scale, strong veterinary talent, and a solid manufacturing base.
- CEVA strengthened its footprint with a Santa Fe plant and R&D hub, partnering with the UNL (National University of the Littoral) and CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Council)
- Innovation and Technology Leadership: Market leader in poultry vaccines with advanced in ovo, AI Genesys, and remote veterinary solutions.
- Product Portfolio Expansion: Historically strong in poultry and swine, CEVA entered companion animal health after 2023. The pet market is now the fastest-growing segment globally in animal health.
- Data Analytics and Digital Transformation: CEVA uses real-time data tools to link slaughterhouse insights with on-farm health decisions. The company invests in traceability, digital records, and smart connectivity between farms and global experts.
- Talent Development and Legacy: Built a high-trust culture supported by formal education and internal innovation programs. The CEVA Business Program with Universidad de Tella for their clients and IDEAS Program, an initiative in which all Ceva employees can submit their ideas for improvement to be implemented, underlining CEVA’s commitment to Argentina as a long-term partner, bringing global expertise with local solutions.
EF: What attracted you to the role of Country Manager, and what mission did you set for yourself?
HLC: Based in Buenos Aires, as Country Manager for the Southern Cone, I am responsible for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. My mission is to drive sustainable growth for Ceva within the complexity of Argentina’s export-driven animal health ecosystem. We are very proud of the journey we began in Argentina in 2011. Over the past decade, we have grown from a small operation into an agile organization, building strong customer relationships and steadily strengthening our team.
Since taking on this role in 2020, my focus has been on leading the organization with a clear strategic direction aligned with our global principles. Our main guiding concept is One Health, which is about feeding the world with sufficient and healthy food while respecting animal welfare, biodiversity, and public health.
In practice, this means running a healthy business that contributes to society. We support farmers by promoting prevention, responsible use of antimicrobials, and the control of animal and zoonotic diseases, which are particularly relevant in our region. Topics such as avian influenza disease have been central in recent years. The One Health approach puts prevention first and recognizes the strong link between human and animal health in feeding a growing planet.
Argentina presents specific challenges, especially its dynamic economic environment. Despite cyclical difficulties, it remains a key strategic market for Ceva. It is one of the main players in the regional animal protein industry and continues to attract multinational investment despite economic volatility.
In 2023, we acquired a manufacturing plant in Santa Fe, in the north of Argentina. This was a very strategic step, as we are among the few multinational animal health companies with local manufacturing in the country. My role is to fully capitalize on this asset, ensuring continued growth, innovation, and long- term partnership within Argentina’s animal health sector.
Beyond Argentina, my objective is to expand Ceva’s footprint across the region. In Chile, we operate through a subsidiary with a legal entity and direct employees. In Uruguay and Paraguay, we work through distributors supported by local technical teams and regional oversight.
EF: Could you elaborate on Argentina´s strategic role for the company?
Argentina is absolutely strategic not only for Ceva, but for the global livestock industry. It is an agricultural powerhouse, with more than 53 million heads of cattle and a strong position among the world’s leading feed producers and exporters. This scale makes it a key contributor to the global food supply.
From my perspective, Argentina offers an ideal platform for our industry. Livestock and poultry production are extensive, with strong beef, dairy, and poultry sectors, and growing swine production. All of these require advanced animal health solutions. Strong animal health systems are essential for export competitiveness and food security, which is why we work closely with chambers, producers, and industry partners.
The country also offers a strong base of human capital and infrastructure. Argentina has highly skilled veterinarians and researchers, as well as local manufacturing capabilities. The Santa Fe site includes not only a pharmaceutical plant for bovine and pet products, but also a research and development center. There, our teams work on both global and local projects in collaboration with the UNL (National University of the Littoral) and CONICET, one of Argentina’s most respected research institutions.
Argentina has clear potential to grow its exports. While many producers still focus on the domestic market, several are already prepared to expand internationally. Consumption levels remain high, with strong per capita consumption of bovine, poultry, and swine protein, underscoring the importance of animal protein in the local market and the opportunity to further expand production.
We are very positive about Argentina’s current direction. After a difficult year of adjustment in 2025, the country is entering a new phase. The new government is opening Argentina to the world, and this is the moment for producers to invest again. We expect renewed investment to help take the sector to the next level, fully aligned with Ceva’s focus on prevention and sustainability.
EF: Ceva has a broad portfolio across species. How is your portfolio evolving today, and how are technological advances actively shaping the way you develop and deliver animal health solutions?
HLC: Our portfolio covers all species, including poultry, swine, cattle, and companion animals, which are becoming increasingly important worldwide. Globally, companion animals represent the largest segment in animal health, making it a clear priority alongside vaccines and pharmaceuticals. Since the acquisition in Santa Fe, we have fully entered this segment, including pharmaceuticals and pheromones, which have been very well received by customers for their ability to reduce stress in cats and dogs.
Technology plays a central role in our approach. At Ceva, we see ourselves as a partner to the farmer. We not only provide products, but also comprehensive solutions and services that improve the entire production process.
In poultry, Ceva has been a market leader in vaccines for more than 12 years in Argentina. We also offer advanced technologies, such as in ovo vaccination, improving efficiency and animal welfare. We are now introducing innovations such as Ceva Genesys, an AI-driven solution that automatically sexes chicks with more than 98 percent accuracy, helping producers optimize feeding, management, and costs.
This is the right moment to bring these solutions to Argentina. Competitiveness today no longer comes from currency adjustments, but from better processes, higher efficiency, lower costs, and improved product quality. We work closely with producers to demonstrate the value of investing in these technologies.
We are extending this innovative approach to other species as well. In swine, for example, we launched an advanced injectable solution that combines supplementation and coccidiosis control to improve early piglet health.
Animal welfare is also a key focus. We are actively working with specialized partners to support animal welfare certification. Many of our solutions reduce stress and animal handling, whether through products or improved processes.
We also actively support beef and dairy producers through technical workshops, helping them adopt innovations that improve efficiency, animal welfare, and long-term value creation.
EF: Why should industry and global leaders encourage greater focus and investment in the animal health area, especially in South America?
HLC: From my position in the Southern Cone, we are already actively involved in discussions like this, alongside colleagues from headquarters. We participate in key industry forums, such as the ELBA (Encuentro Latinoamericano de Bienestar Animal) congress in Chile. These are essential for the future of animal health and must be addressed seriously.
Animal protein production is critical, and it comes with many sensitive and increasingly demanding requirements. Some of our customers in Argentina are large global players operating under extremely high standards, driven by international food chains. To be part of these value chains, all suppliers must meet strict qualification criteria. Countries like Argentina, therefore, need to be prepared to comply with evolving regulations. Europe is already several steps ahead, but these standards will eventually apply worldwide.
In Argentina, one of the main reasons behind our 2023 acquisition was the only commercially available recombinant ECG hormone. It is produced using genetically engineered cells under very strict quality standards, allowing us to deliver a robust and biosecure solution that fully complies with animal health and welfare requirements.
The product is now manufactured in Argentina, and Ceva France has recognized its value. We are currently working to export and commercialize it in Europe due to its strong alignment with animal welfare standards. At present, this technology is unique worldwide and reflects the group’s long-term vision. We are particularly proud that this innovation was developed by Argentine scientists, originally within a biotechnology company in Santa Fe that is now part of Ceva.
EF: Looking five to ten years ahead, how would you like Argentina’s animal health industry to evolve, and where do you see Ceva in that future?
HC: Technology is transforming veterinary medicine at an incredible pace, and we are actively embracing these changes to better support our customers. One clear example is the use of smart glasses. Ceva had already adopted this technology several years ago.
At the end of the pandemic, when access to slaughterhouses was restricted, these tools proved extremely valuable. Connected via Wi Fi, smart glasses allow specialists anywhere in the world to see what is happening on a farm in real time and provide direct support. This reflects our approach at Ceva, which goes beyond vaccines or pharmaceutical products. We deliver a complete service backed by a global network of technical experts.
In Argentina, we have around 250 employees, while globally Ceva employs more than 7,000 people. This scale gives us access to specialists for virtually every need. Through connected solutions and close collaboration with producers on farm connectivity, we can offer real-time support from anywhere in the world.
At the same time, we are increasingly able to collect and analyze farm-level data to improve decision-making and traceability. A good example is the Ceva Lung Program for swine. This tool objectively scores lung lesions in pigs at the slaughterhouse. By analyzing this data in real time, we can identify recurring respiratory issues, trace them back to farm management practices, and adjust vaccination programs to improve outcomes. This also has a direct impact on animal welfare, as interventions can be timelier and more precise.
Automation and artificial intelligence are introducing new methodologies for producers. Chick sexing is a clear example. Today, this process is still largely manual, requiring long hours and leading over time to fatigue, errors, and higher costs, particularly in nutrition.
AI-driven automation improves accuracy and consistency, helping producers avoid unnecessary inefficiencies. The same applies to automated vaccination equipment.
Traceability is another critical area. In animal protein production, consumers and regulators increasingly expect full visibility from farm to fork. Technology enables this through digital health records, electronic identification, and vaccination equipment that automatically records and tracks data. Information and technology are essential not to replace human work, but to generate insights that improve performance indicators and overall results for our customers.
EF: At the beginning of our conversation, you mentioned the strong talent pool in Argentina. As the company continues to grow, what profiles are you looking for, and how are you approaching this growth?
HLC: We have learned to be highly agile and responsive. Every year brings different challenges, and nothing stays the same for long. We often need to redefine our short-term priorities while keeping a clear long-term direction. This agility allows us to secure the supply chain, deliver on time, adapt pricing, and support producers with the right tools so they can continue to grow.
The animal health industry today requires a much broader mix of skills than in the past. We need veterinarians who are data savvy, data scientists who understand biology, and professionals who can combine technology with animal care. In Argentina, we started in 2011 with just three people. Today, we are more than 250. As we grow, we continue to bring in new expertise, strengthen leadership structures across business units, and empower teams working in innovation and talent development. A good example is our partnership with Universidad DiTella, where we created a program called Ceva Business. The program is open for customers and potential customers. Many producers in Argentina are family-owned businesses, and they highly value and appreciate our company’s contribution to the internal education and training of their teams. Beyond learning, the program creates a strong network.
Internally, we also focus on empowering local talent because they understand our customers’ reality better than anyone else.
Another example is our IDEAS program in Argentina. It allows any employee, whether in the plant or in the field, to propose ideas. These are reviewed by an internal committee, and several innovations have emerged from this process. Some of the AI-driven solutions were inspired directly by employee initiatives. We actively encourage people to step out of their daily routines, think differently, and challenge the status quo.
Our long-term vision for Ceva in Argentina is built on commitment and partnership. Since acquiring the Santa Fe site, we are not only serving the local market. We are exporting products from Argentina to other Latin American countries and to Europe. Bringing locally developed solutions to global markets is both a responsibility and a source of pride.
EF: Do you have a final message?
HC: At Ceva, we are guided by the One Health principle. The health of animals, people, and the environment is deeply interconnected. When animals are well cared for, food is safer and more abundant. When zoonotic diseases are controlled, communities are protected. And when medicines are used responsibly, their effectiveness is preserved for both animal and human health.
My personal commitment, and Ceva’s commitment, to Argentina and the Southern Cone is clear. We are here as long-term partners. We will continue to bring global expertise, invest in local solutions, and work collaboratively beyond animal health to support a broader vision. That vision is a future where animal health is fully recognized as a pillar of food security, public health, and sustainable economic growth. Let us continue to collaborate across sectors and borders to strengthen animal health.
