International Person of the Year: Alastair Pearson
Alastair Pearson, Chairman of World Wide Sires China Co, Ltd., is known as the father of the dairy industry in China. Born in Australia, Pearson became a veterinarian before beginning his career in Africa and later, on one of the world’s largest dairies, in Saudi Arabia.
After gaining experience, Pearson soon became a dairy consultant to farming companies, investment companies and government agencies in Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Egypt, Australia and China among other countries. Championing modern farming practices and North American genetics for more than 30 years, he helped establish the first large-scale dairy farm in China with 6,000 cows and World Wide Sires China.
Pearson’s work led to a total revolution and evolution of China’s dairy industry that today boasts more than 1 million cows in large-scale, modern facilities. China has also since imported millions of units of semen from American bulls making the country one of the largest importers of genetics from the U.S.
As someone who believes in empowering people, Pearson’s influences on the dairy industry in the Middle East and east Asian countries can be seen through educational efforts focused on controlling and preventing foot and mouth disease, brucellosis and other destructive dairy cattle diseases as well as improving managerial practices. Many of the top herd managers in China today trained or worked under Pearson.
His service to the global dairy industry is also highly visible through his former role as CEO of Inner Mongolia Mengniu Austasia Dairy Farm Co. Ltd. and most recently as the CEO of China Modern Dairy Shang He Dairy Farm Co. Ltd.
