Dr Antonio Benitz

Senior Advisor

Tony Benitz recently retired from Boehringer-Ingelheim after a 35-year career in animal health. He served in senior roles in research and development in several companies, including Global Head of R&D for Pharmacia Animal Health and Novartis Animal Health. He played a key role in the integration of the R&D organizations following the acquisitions by Pfizer Animal Health and Elanco, respectively. Most recently, he served as Global Head of Regulatory Affairs for Merial and he was closely involved in the integration of R&D and Regulatory Affairs into Boehringer-Ingelheim.

Tony began his career with Schering-Plough Animal Health in their International Division in 1983 as Manager of Clinical Research. He then went on to manage the animal health business in Argentina for two years. He returned to the U.S. to join Merck in animal science R&D leading development programs. In 1996, he was recruited by Hoechst Roussel Vet as Head of R&D for North America. He joined Pharmacia and Upjohn as Global Head of R&D in 1999.

Following the completion of the acquisition by Pfizer Animal Health in 2004, Tony joined Velcera that was a start-up company. He joined Novartis Animal Health in 2009 as Head of R&D North America then moved on to Global Head of R&D in 2014. Following the acquisition by Elanco, he joined Merial in 2015 as Global Head of Regulatory Affairs.

Tony has broad global experience in research and development for pharmaceuticals and biologicals. His experience includes bringing a range of new therapeutics and vaccines for animals to the market, and working closely with regulatory agencies in many international markets, including the Center of Veterinary Medicine, and the Food and Drug Agency in the U.S.

Born and raised in Argentina, Tony grew up on a farm and moved to the United States after finishing high school. He attended the University of California-Davis as an undergraduate and received his Master’s degree from the University of Illinois. After completing his degree, he received his DVM degree from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Tony practiced and owned a small animal practice in western Canada for seven years prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry in the U.S.

With more than three decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and animal medicine, Tony is excited to help with customers as they pursue opportunities for their technologies to achieve their business strategies.