Professor Martyn Jeggo hands over leadership of ILRI’s board to Andrew Peters
For the first time ever, the Kapiti Research Station and Wildlife Conservancy hosted the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) board of trustees which convened on 13–15 April 2025 for its 66th meeting during which Professor Martyn Jeggo, who completed his term on the board, handed over the position of board chair to the new appointee Professor Andrew Peters.
Outgoing chair Martyn Jeggo has served on the ILRI board since 2017 in various capacities including as program committee chair, and more recently as board chair. He has been instrumental in steering ILRI through numerous initiatives aimed at improving sustainable livestock health and productivity globally. Following an outstanding career in One Health and emerging infectious diseases, Martyn holds the position of adjunct professor at Deakin University within the Geelong Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Andrew Peters is visiting professor of tropical veterinary medicine at the University of Edinburgh and former director of SEBI-Livestock. He also works as an independent consultant in the development of veterinary medicines and vaccines. He holds PhD and DSc degrees in veterinary and animal science and has published 200 scientific papers and two books.
Professor Peters expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to lead the board and his commitment to continuing and building on the exemplary work of his predecessors.
'I feel exceptionally proud and honoured to have been appointed to this vital role. I am committed to helping to lead ILRI into an exciting future in tackling the major global challenges facing animal agriculture and its role in our future health and prosperity,' said Peters.
ILRI director general Professor Appolinaire Djikeng thanked Martyn Jeggo for his steadfast support for ILRI and the livestock sector more broadly, as well as his successful stewardship of the ILRI board. He also extended a warm welcome to Andrew Peters as the new board chair.
'We believe Andrew Peters’ global leadership of science and animal agriculture, as well as his governance skills and deep understanding of the livestock sector and of ILRI’s portfolio, will be instrumental to our institutional transformation journey and the implementation of ILRI’s new strategy,' said Djikeng.
The board deliberated around a number of areas. The Science Innovation and Partnership Committee reviewed ILRI’s research portfolio and its linkage with the new CGIAR Research Portfolio 2025–2030. It also heard an update of how ILRI will use a theory of change approach to monitor its goal of reaching up to 300 million people.
The Audit, Finance and Risk Committee discussed the institute’s external and internal audits, approved the 2024 financial statements, and reviewed ILRI- and CGIAR-wide risk and oversight plans and implementation.
The ILRI board of trustees comprises up to 12 professionals who provide governance and oversight to ensure the institute functions to the highest standards.
With Professor Andrew Peters at the helm, ILRI is poised to continue implementing its research-for-development agenda towards equitable and resilient livestock systems that deliver food systems transformation with climate and environmental benefits.
