Advanced dairy cow health monitoring company smaXtec has announced new leadership appointments.

The announcement comes as the company continues its global expansion in the US, Europe and New Zealand and follows another year of "significant double-digit growth".

Charlie Sheppy has been appointed as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of smaXtec, effective immediately.

Sheppy is an experienced animal health executive with more than 25 years in the animal nutrition and livestock technology industries, most recently a member of the global marketing and technology solutions leadership team at MSD Animal Health, a division of MSD (also known as Merck & Co.).

Charlie succeeds Stefan Scherer, who has been chief executive of smaXtec since 2020 and oversaw the company’s initial growth phase.

Scherer will now move to the smaXtec Board as a non-executive director where he will continue to contribute to smaXtec’s long-term growth and innovation roadmap.

Scherer said he was "excited to hand over the CEO position to Charlie after six very successful years of growth".

SmaXtec has also announced the appointment of Hein Schumacher, former chief executive of Unilever and FrieslandCampina, to the company’s board as a non-executive director.

The company said the new additions will expand its management team and board with "world-class expertise across finance, strategy, dairy technology, and global business leadership".

SmaXtec

Incoming smaXtec chief executive Charlie Sheepy said he is "hugely excited" to join the company "at this moment of great opportunity and to lead this talented team in continuing to build on the impressive growth they have delivered under Stefan’s leadership".

"Livestock farming, particularly the dairy industry, is undergoing a technological revolution and few companies are as uniquely positioned as smaXtec to make a genuine and lasting impact on both animal wellbeing and farm efficiency," he added.

Hein Schumacher, newly appointed board member, said he was "pleased to be part of the exciting smaXtec journey".

"Animal health is a prerequisite for any farmer to run a successful operation, the smaXtec solutions contribute significantly to this goal. I am looking forward to contribute to the global growth of the company," he said.