MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
21 August 2014
Hill Laboratories appoints new Agricultural Divisional Manager
New Zealand's leading analytical testing laboratory, Hill Laboratories, has appointed Dr Bart Challis as new
Agricultural Divisional Manager for the company.
Dr Challis brings to Hill Laboratories 16 years of international experience in the fields of Life Science and
Biotechnology.
After completing a PhD in microbiology from the University of Otago, Dr Challis began his career in Sales in the United
Kingdom in 1999.
Swiftly adding management experience to his scientific background, Dr Challis moved to the Netherlands a year later,
where he undertook the role of Brand Manager for life science company, Invitrogen.
He later worked as General Manager for the company Active Motif in both Belgium and in the United Sates.
Most recently Dr Challis was Chief Commercial Officer at Active Motif’s Southern California headquarters, where he
managed international subsidiaries in Europe and Asia, as well as global operations, business development and sales.
As Agricultural Divisional Manager for Hill Laboratories, Dr Challis will lead a team of 30 people responsible for
delivering agricultural testing services for New Zealand's farmers and growers.
“Hill Laboratories has a long-standing reputation in the area of agricultural testing, having started out 30 years ago
as a solely agriculture focussed laboratory. Today agricultural testing makes up about 30 per cent of Hills’ core
business.
“I look forward to providing leadership to Hill Laboratories’ Agricultural division; helping to keep the company on its
impressive growth course since its humble beginnings three decades ago.”
Hill Laboratories Managing Director and founder Dr Roger Hill said Dr Challis’ mix of scientific and management
experience will complement the existing senior management team.
“He brings vital expertise in sales, business development, marketing, research and development, manufacturing and
operations; all of which will help Hill Laboratories continue to provide leading analytical laboratory services for our
customers.”
Having grown up on a farm in New Zealand, Dr Challis and his wife are pleased to be back in New Zealand.
“I am excited to bring my international experience back to this country, and hope to use everything I have learned to
drive Hill Laboratories’ success forward globally.
Hill Laboratories celebrated its 30th anniversary in July this year. The company is a 100 per cent privately owned New
Zealand analytical testing laboratory and has three major testing areas: Agriculture, Environmental and Food.
With its main site in Hamilton, the company currently has four sites in the North Island, two in the South Island, and
an office in Japan.
ENDS