Company

Antje Eckel, the brains behind Dr. Eckel, holds a doctorate in agricultural engineering. She established the company in 1994, creating one of the first German companies for feed additives to provide innovative, efficiency-oriented and health-promoting additives as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters. Antje Eckel earned herself a reputation as a ‘pioneer of innovative feed additives’ and has developed the company from a small start-up to a medium-sized enterprise operating worldwide from its headquarters in Niederzissen.

Scientific expertise meets bold ideas; a creative mind meets a technician’s heart. Viktor Eckel has been playing a key role in positioning and shaping the future of the Dr. Eckel brand ever since he joined the company in 2020, at first as Team Manager Marketing and E-learning. In 2024, he took over responsibility for innovation and product.

After completing his studies in biochemistry and a physiology internship at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Viktor was awarded a PhD in technical microbiology by the Technical University of Munich. Apart from his native German, he is fluent in English and speaks French and Norwegian. The father of two now lives in his new (former) home in the Ahr valley. He only misses living in Munich when it comes to climbing: rather than in the Alps, the passionate mountaineer and climbing wall supervisor now often spends his free time in the Eifel or the nearby vineyards. When time permits, he enjoys sharing his love for cooking and craft beer with family and friends.

Bernhard Eckel, an agronomist holding a doctorate in animal nutrition, got to know the industry from scratch. He established Dr. Eckel with Antje Eckel and was the first employee. As Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, he is responsible for technical sales, product development and animal welfare, and thus plays a major role in the success of the company.

Andreas Lewke, who holds a doctorate in agricultural sciences, has been at Dr. Eckel since 2011. Initially Director Asia and head of the Dr. Eckel representative office in Bangkok, Thailand, he became Managing Director of our Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition (Thailand) Co., Ltd. subsidiary in 2017. He is responsible for Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and China. Among other things, he develops relationships with sales partners and familiarises our customers with Dr. Eckel’s innovative business concepts through seminars, training courses and conferences.

A graduate agricultural engineer, Thomas has almost 20 years of experience in successful animal nutrition. After studying agricultural sciences at the University of Bonn, he worked for Bergophor for a long time before joining the Dr. Eckel team. Here, in addition to his extensive knowledge of the market and his winning manner, he contributes above all his expertise in the field of phytogenes. Thomas comes from the Eifel and has been at home in the Siegerland region with his family for many years. There he especially loves extensive hikes with his dog and cooking with family and friends.

Beatrice Meyer, who holds a doctorate in veterinary surgery, joined the Dr. Eckel sales team in autumn 2016. She is responsible for northern Germany and tirelessly visits and advises our customers there.

Peter Hummel studied finance at the College of Finance and Accountancy in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary, and subsequently graduated as an agricultural engineer from Kaposvár University. The native Hungarian also joined the Dr. Eckel team in 2017. The Area Manager is responsible for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, taking care of sales and our collaboration with various regional sales partners.

A veterinarian by profession, Thuy has longstanding experience as a nutritionist as well as in distribution and sales to the Vietnamese feed industry. She also has an MBA from Bolton University. Based in her native Vietnam, the Area Manager serves and supports our clients there in all questions concerning Dr. Eckel services and products.

Alberto is a trained veterinarian and has longstanding experience in animal nutrition and sales. Based in his native Spain, as Area Manager Phytogenics for Latin America he serves and support our cusomers in all questions concerning Dr. Eckel’s innovative products and services.

Chatchareeya Cheychom is a biotechnologist and marine scientist with experience in integrated farm management and nutritional feed products for terrestrial and aquatic animals and pet food. She is a graduate from Chulalongkorn University and has particularly profound knowledge in microbiology research and development of commercial aquaculture. As Areal Sales Manager Phytogenics Thailand, with her great initiative and outstanding customer focus, she contributes to moving the feed market in Thailand forward.

Ilkin is a trained agricultural economist with extensive experience in sales, product management and market research. He holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Hohenheim and a Bachelor’s degree in International Economics from the State Agricultural University of Azerbaijan. Besides his native Azerbaijani, he is also fluent in Russian, Turkish and English.

As Sales Manager Phytogenics East Europe, Ilkin is responsible for Eastern Europe and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), expanding our sales channels and caring for our customers in the area.

Diana Schmitt is a travel agent by profession and has many years’ experience as a business travel agent. She is proficient at document handling and processing applications and approvals, and tackles the most complicated of registration processes with patience and skill. In her free time, she enjoys travelling to other countries. And she’s lost her Rhenish heart to carnival.

A native of Azerbaijan, Nigar speaks five languages and has several years of experience in the service and tourism sectors. She did her Master’s degree in Environmental Protection and Agricultural Food Production in Stuttgart before joining Dr Eckel. Nigar likes travelling, gardening and photography.

Anne Möddel gained valuable experience in domestic pig farming early on. After completing her training as an agronomist and her master’s degree in agricultural sciences at the University of Bonn, she worked as a pig-farming specialist at an international feed manufacturer before joining the Technical Sales Team at Dr. Eckel.

Elisabeth Holl, an agronomist holding a doctorate in agricultural engineering, has been at Dr. Eckel for 25  years and knows the company inside out. The Senior Technical Manager is the point of contact for a large number of our products and can provide help in a variety of matters due to her broad expert knowledge.

Iris Kröger had already specialised in livestock while studying veterinary medicine. She did her doctorate in the use of feed additives in cows at the Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. She joined Dr. Eckel’s Technical Sales team in 2018 and speaks French in addition to German and English. Originally from Berlin, she loves nature. What she particularly likes about life in the Eifel is that she can pursue her hobby of beekeeping here.

Temitope holds a Master in Agricultural science and has just completed his dissertation on the effects of ensiling conditions on the nutritional value of tropical legume forages and its utilization by cattle. Before joining the Dr. Eckel Technical Sales team, he worked as a graduate research assistant at the Institute of Animal Nutrition & Rangeland Management in the Tropics, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart. In his free time, Temitope enjoys soccer, reading and travelling.

Muhammad has a Master’s degree in Animal Nutrition from the University of Kiel. Before that, he did his DVM at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. He has special experience in working with cattle and is fluent in Urdu, English and German.

After completing her bachelor’s degree in biology, Rasha worked in market research before joining Dr Eckel. Here she supports the Technical Sales Team. In her private life, she is passionate about interior design and endurance sports.

As a PhD chemist, Katharina contributes her expertise and innovative ideas to the development and optimisation of products at Dr. Eckel. In her free time, she likes to cook and go on city trips.

Miriam Packwood researched equid behaviour at rest and in movement for her thesis as part of her agricultural engineering degree at the University of Bonn. She has been a member of the Dr. Eckel team since 2011, initially responsible for experimentation in Product Development before moving to Quality Management in 2017. Here, the mother of two manages registrations while tirelessly infecting others with her good mood.

Hossein started working at Dr. Eckel in 2020 and has successfully completed his apprenticeship as warehouse logistics specialist at Dr Eckel. He loves his electric forklift truck and is always at hand when you need him.

His motto could also be “There’s always room for improvement”: As Team Manager Purchasing & Pricing, Gudrat works to always achieve the best for our customers and to constantly optimise current processes. Before joining Dr. Eckel, Gudrat studied International Economics and completed two Master’s degrees in Agricultural Economics and Bioeconomics at the University of Hohenheim. In addition to his native Azerbaijani, Gudrat speaks fluent German, English and Turkish. Gudrat, who lives in Koblenz, feels at home on the Rhine. He likes painting and fishing, cooking for friends or solving strategy games on his PC.

The trained farmer is a born doer and knows all areas of the company from an early age. In addition to his experience in the industry, he brings his customer focus and his good communication skills to bear in Purchasing and Pricing. Furthermore, Theo takes care of the sustainability projects, such as the conversion of the company’s car fleet to hybrid/electric drive. He speaks fluent German and English as well as French. In his private life, the passionate gardener and chilli grower is involved as a youth coach for SC Niederzissen and enjoys travelling with friends.

Simone discovered her professional passion for human resources during her training as an industrial clerk in a corporate group. Further training to become a human resources specialist was the logical step. In her professional career, Simone gained extensive knowledge in a wide range of specialist HR topics in national and international companies. Since 2023, she has been leading the HR team at Dr. Eckel, where she has been able to put her many years of experience and expertise as well as her keen sense for people to good use.
In her private life, Simone was herself active for many years as a dancer and later as a trainer in a carnival dance group. She loves extensive walks in nature with her family and her dog, and also enjoys spoiling family and friends with home-made treats.

With a smart head, an open ear and a fine intuition, Lisa is the ideal contact person for all personnel-related questions – for employees as well as for the management. Already during her studies in Trier and Dublin, she focused on human resources and psychology and gained numerous practical experiences. After completing her Master’s degree in economic sociology, she worked in HR and corporate communications in various medium-sized companies before joining Dr. Eckel in 2021. In her private life, Lisa is as active as she is communicative: she enjoys sports, hiking and mountain biking.

When Julia began her training as an industrial clerk at Dr. Eckel in 2006, she was the first female trainee. Ever since, it is hard to envisage the company without her. Be it in processing or assistance, Julia has everything in control … with her trademark smile. In HR, she is responsible for administration, contract preparation and the organisation of application processes, among other things. and is additionally Training Manager, responsible for Dr. Eckel trainees. Besides German and English, Julia is also fluent in Russian. The mother of two enjoys physical activities such as swimming, hiking and dancing in her valuable free time.

Ingrid is our longest serving colleague. The qualified notary’s clerk is familiar with all aspects of the company, having been at Dr. Eckel for 25 years. She started off as a management assistant responsible for order processing and moved on to purchasing. Her skills and experience are put to optimal use in business development. Here she supports the company in various projects, including organisationally in setting up the in-house production facility or in introducing new ERP software.

During her training as a miller, Klara was able to gain a wealth of experience in various production companies in Germany and abroad. In 2019, she took over the technical management and one year later the overall management of production. In 2023, she turned to new tasks and is now responsible for the development and implementation of various projects in Business Development. In addition to her innovative ideas, her communication skills and practically unshakeable good humour are legendary. When Klara has time, she enjoys painting and making fantastic yeast pastries.

Scientific expertise meets bold ideas; a creative mind meets a technician’s heart. Viktor Eckel has been playing a key role in positioning and shaping the future of the Dr. Eckel brand ever since he joined the company in 2020, at first as Team Manager Marketing and E-learning. In 2024, he took over responsibility for innovation and product.

After completing his studies in biochemistry and a physiology internship at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Viktor was awarded a PhD in technical microbiology by the Technical University of Munich. Apart from his native German, he is fluent in English and speaks French and Norwegian. The father of two now lives in his new (former) home in the Ahr valley. He only misses living in Munich when it comes to climbing: rather than in the Alps, the passionate mountaineer and climbing wall supervisor now often spends his free time in the Eifel or the nearby vineyards. When time permits, he enjoys sharing his love for cooking and craft beer with family and friends.

Andrea Dietrich spent several years editing popular non-fiction books, ensuring excellent text and clear and comprehensible messages. She holds a master’s degree in book studies, history and English philology from Mainz University, and became a lifelong Scotland fan while studying in Edinburgh. As PR and Communications Manager, the mother of a little daughter is responsible for editing, polishing and refining texts, as well as organising events.

Daniel Sandoval Castillo is the creative mind behind Dr. Eckel on social media. In addition to his degree in marketing, the native Mexican has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and religious studies. In his free time, the father-to-be loves endurance sports and travelling. Besides his native Spanish, he speaks fluent English and is working on his German skills.

Rose-Marie Corbin Osterholz is a qualified translator and the Good Samaritan of the company, and has been at Dr. Eckel since 2003. The Frenchwoman is an organisational wizard and puts her talent to good use as Office Manager, planning and managing customer and company events, and organising business trips.

She is the organisational marvel at our office in Bangkok. Rissara dedicated most of her professional career to project and organisation management in business and administration. She also has worked with projects in the food and health sector. As Administration Assistant in our Bangkok office, Rissara competently cares for deadlines, appointments, accounts, contact to Thai authorities and anything else that demands a firm hand, sharp eye and organisational mind. She holds a Bachelor in German, English and History and an MBA in Global Entrepreneurship. In addition to her native Thai, Rissara speaks English, German and Japanese. If she finds the time, she enjoys trekking, gardening and reading.

Mimoza really has her heart in the right place and is untiring in ensuring that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes and that guests do not lack anything. The professional childcarer settled in Germany after leaving Kosovo in 2006. The mother of three likes to spend her free time doing handicrafts, hiking, reading or cooking.

Laura Degen joined Dr. Eckel in 2007, after training as an industrial clerk. She is currently responsible for technical and integrative accounting, cost accounting and controlling. While working, the mother of two completed her further training as a financial accountant and a data protection officer. What she loves most about her home town Niederzissen is the people, carnival and her garden, which she tends with the meticulousness and care she applies to her lists of numbers.

Errors don’t stand a chance with her. At Dr. Eckel, Margit Heuser is responsible for invoice verification, accounts receivable and accounts payable. The qualified office communication specialist previously spent more than 20 years working in the finance department of a large winegrower. Apart from engaging in physical activities in her free time, the mother of two also enjoys riding her e-bike to work.

Martin Lind obtained his Master of Science from the University of Mainz and trained further as Quality Manager. The biomedical scientist specialised in immunology and genetics, and wrote his thesis on the effect of oxidative stress on cells. He employs his knowledge and a keen eye for detail for excellent quality management at Dr. Eckel. In his free time, the technophile from Koblenz enjoys riding his motorcycle on the winding roads of the Westerwald and Eifel.

After his training, the qualified industrial clerk gained initial experience in purchasing and IT. In 2020, he moved to Dr. Eckel, where he was responsible for production logistics and e-learning, among other things. In quality management, he takes care of the optimal processes with heart and hand. As a passionate rock music fan, Benni loves concerts and festivals, but also reading and playing basketball.

Anne-Kathrin Blässe holds a doctorate in biology and is a rabbit-breeding expert. She first started working in Product Management in 2012, then soon joined our Marketing Department. Here she was responsible for advertising planning, customer dialogue measures and trade fair organisation for many years. In 2023, she transitioned to the newly created E-Controlling team, where she can put her passion for data analysis to optimal use. As a market analyst, she makes market developments, trends and analyses visible and usable.

As a long-standing employee in production, Marcus was instrumental in setting up digital production control at Dr Eckel. He keeps an eye on all processes in and around production and thus ensures customised production planning at Dr Eckel. The passionate optimiser is the first point of contact in the e-controlling team for short and long-term problem solutions relating to production and digital workflows in the company.