AgriThority appoints Simon Barber as Manager of Global Regulatory Services

AgriThority LLC, an integrated agricultural science consultancy has announcedthe addition of Simon Barber as Manager of Global Regulatory Services.

Barber brings more than 25 years of policy expertise to AgriThority with a focus on modern plant breeding and biotechnology. His work with government agencies and international organizations has helped harmonize global practices and advance plant variety development.

As the Regulatory Services Manager, Barber will be the strategy resource for AgriThority projects involving global regulatory matters for clients and the company. He will also manage the AgriThority global regulatory network and will be responsible for coordinating regulatory matters with field research and market access activities of the company.

“Policies and procedures vary significantly among countries and can impede a project timeline if the process is not navigated effectively,” says David Sippell, AgriThority CEO. “Simon brings advanced knowledge of global regulations to streamline the compliance process and ensure our field development and market access projects remain on schedule.”

Barber’s policy experience began in 1990 with the Regulatory Branch of Agriculture Canada, developing regulations governing the use of modern biotechnology in plant variety development. He went on to hold executive positions in the biotechnology units of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and EuropaBio.

Most recently, Barber led Syngenta’s Asia Pacific Regulatory and Stewardship team, gaining approvals to allow the import of food, feed and processing of genetically modified crops into Asia Pacific countries.

Barber has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural botany from the University College of North Wales, Bangor in the UK and a master’s in agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.