DES MOINES, IOWA and VERONELLA, ITALY — Kemin Industries announced Aug. 6 it has appointed two new leaders for its pet food and rendering technologies business. Alberto Muñoz will become marketing director of the business segment and Nicola Abrate has been appointed operations director of palatants and proteins.

Muñoz joined Kemin in 2013 as a marketing intern before joining the company full-time as marketing coordinator for its personal care business. After spending four years in personal care, Muñoz transitioned to Kemin Nutrisurance, where he has helped the company develop its health and nutrition platform for the past two years.

Muñoz also led the development of Kemin’s global specialty proteins initiative. He will be based in Des Moines and report directly to Yannick Riou, president of Kemin Nutrisurance.

Abrate has spent the last five years with Kemin as a product manager for Kemin Nutrisurance in Veronella. In 2019, he was promoted to operations manager for the business unit. Throughout his time with Kemin, Abrate has led teams and ensured the safety of its manufacturing employees, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, without disrupting production.

In his new role, Abrate will lead Kemin Nutrisurance’s Italy operations, reporting to David Raveyre, group president of Kemin Industries.

"Alberto and Nicola have both excelled in their respective areas of focus, and I'm excited to see what they can achieve in their new leadership positions," Riou said. "They have extensive experience at Kemin and in their disciplines, and they've already made significant contributions to our global pet food business. Advancing them into executive roles will help grow our overall business and continue to enhance our service to customers."

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.