TOP PROFESSIONALS
Asian American Professionals Worth Knowing
GOLDSEA | TOP ASIAN AMERICAN PROFESSIONALS
DIANE HIRAKAWA
Profession: Senior Corporate Executive
Position: Senior Vice President Research & Development, Pet Health & Nutrition, Iams
nimal activists think Diane Hirakawa is a monster for testing pet health care products on lab animals. Better lab animals than the companions of actual consumers, is Hirakawa's philosophy. Her efforts have also made her a recognized leader in the pet health and nutrition field. In the process, she has built up Iams' research and development team of four to the leading team in its field of companion animal research and development with over 200 employees. Its goal is to develop poducts that provide better nutrition for pets.
Hirakawa was recruited by Iams right out of graduate school. She designed and oversaw the construction of Iams' first research facility which opened in 1987. She recruited nutritionists, veterinarians, chemists, engineers, microbiologists, animal technicians, and food scientists to build a global industry leader.
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