Athayde is new to IFIF but brings extensive agriculture and international experience encompassed through her 14-year career representing the industry with governments and businesses. In her new role, Athayde will lead IFIF as the representative body of the global feed industry and an essential participant in the food chain that provides sustainable, safe and nutritious food.
"I couldn’t be more pleased with this appointment,” said Dave Cieslak, chairman of IFIF. “Alexandra brings a wealth of global experience to IFIF and with her knowledge of the industry she will strongly support IFIF's mission to provide a unified leadership to represent, defend and promote the global feed and food chain and contribute to the supply of safe, healthy food and high standards of health for animals and people."
Athayde previously held positions within the Monsanto Company corporate affairs department in Brazil, the U.S. and Europe. She focused on building coalitions with industry partners in the food/feed chain, farm industry organizations, governments, academic community and other stakeholders, with an emphasis on agricultural biotechnology policy, to create awareness and acceptance in the world regions. She has also worked for the Brazilian government as adviser to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and adviser to the Foreign Trade Secretary.
Alexandra holds an international executive master’s of business administration from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s of art degree in international relations from York University in Canada. She has lived in Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, India, the U.S., Canada and she speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish and French. She currently resides in Brussels with her husband and son.
