Neogen Taps Diagnostics Veterans to Lead Food Safety Overhaul

LANSING, MI – January 05, 2026 – Neogen Corporation has announced two high-profile executive appointments in a decisive move to reinforce its dominant Food Safety division, signaling a strategic pivot towards accelerated growth and innovation. The Lansing-based company has named Joe Freels as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, and Dr. Tammi Ranalli as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Food Safety.

The appointments, effective this week, are seen by analysts as a critical step in stabilizing the company's trajectory following a period of significant post-acquisition integration challenges and mixed financial results. By bringing in seasoned leaders with deep expertise in diagnostics and commercial strategy, Neogen is positioning itself to more aggressively capitalize on the evolving demands of the global food security market.

Navigating Post-Acquisition Headwinds

These leadership changes come at a pivotal moment for Neogen. The company has been navigating the complex integration of the former 3M Food Safety Division, an acquisition that significantly expanded its portfolio but also contributed to financial headwinds. In its fiscal year 2025 report, Neogen posted a staggering net loss of $1.09 billion, a figure largely attributed to a non-cash goodwill impairment charge related to the acquisition. Total annual revenue dipped 3.2% to $894.66 million.

Despite the headline loss, the company’s core Food Safety segment, which accounts for over 71% of total revenue, showed underlying resilience. While the segment's reported revenue declined slightly, its core growth was positive at 1.2% for the fiscal year, indicating sustained demand. Specific product lines, particularly those for pathogen detection, continued to experience growth, highlighting bright spots within the portfolio. The first quarter of fiscal year 2026 continued this trend, with core revenue showing a slight increase even as reported revenue saw a modest decline.

In a move to sharpen its focus and strengthen its balance sheet, Neogen divested its global Cleaners & Disinfectants business in July 2025 for $130 million. This, along with ongoing restructuring in its genomics business, underscores a broader corporate strategy to double down on core, high-margin competencies. The appointments of Freels and Ranalli are the most significant public-facing move in this strategic reorientation, aimed squarely at maximizing the potential of its most critical business unit.

A Power Duo for Commercial and Scientific Advancement

The backgrounds of the two new executives are highly complementary, creating a leadership team designed to tackle both the scientific and commercial challenges of the modern food safety landscape.

Dr. Tammi Ranalli will assume full profit and loss (P&L) responsibility for the global Food Safety portfolio. Her role encompasses the entire strategic pipeline, from research and development to regulatory affairs and market strategy. She joins Neogen from QuidelOrtho, where she served as a Senior Vice President and General Manager overseeing the company’s molecular diagnostics and point-of-care business units. Her extensive experience in molecular diagnostics is particularly relevant as the food safety industry increasingly shifts towards faster, more accurate DNA-based testing methods for pathogens like Salmonella and Listeria. Her proven P&L management skills suggest she is equipped to drive both financial performance and strategic growth.

Joining her is Joe Freels, who will lead the global Food Safety commercial strategy as Chief Commercial Officer. His mandate includes sales, customer and technical services, and global commercial excellence. Freels brings over two decades of experience in diagnostics and life sciences, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Global Commercial Operations at Cepheid, a leader in molecular diagnostics. His background is critical for translating Neogen’s scientific innovations into market share, refining its go-to-market strategy, and enhancing customer engagement on a global scale.

“Tammi and Joe are both exceptional leaders, and we are pleased to welcome them to Neogen,” said Mike Nassif, President and Chief Executive Officer, in the company’s official announcement. “Their combined commercial, scientific, and operational expertise will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our Food Safety business and support our customers around the world.”

Aligning with a Dynamic Global Food Safety Market

The strategic hires are a direct response to the powerful trends reshaping the global food safety industry. Heightened consumer awareness, increasingly stringent government regulations, and the complexity of globalized supply chains are creating unprecedented demand for robust and reliable testing solutions. Neogen’s competitors, including major players like Thermo Fisher Scientific and Bio-Rad Laboratories, are all vying for dominance in this lucrative and expanding market.

Success in this arena is increasingly defined by technological superiority. The industry is rapidly moving away from traditional culture-based methods toward advanced technologies that offer faster and more precise results. Dr. Ranalli’s deep knowledge of molecular diagnostics aligns perfectly with this trend, positioning Neogen to enhance its offerings in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and other advanced detection platforms. This technological focus is crucial for helping food producers quickly identify contaminants, prevent outbreaks, and minimize the risk of costly recalls.

Freels' commercial leadership will be essential in navigating this competitive environment. His experience commercializing sophisticated diagnostic tools at Cepheid provides him with the playbook to drive adoption of Neogen’s advanced solutions, ensuring that the company’s scientific R&D translates into tangible revenue growth and a stronger competitive position.

Signaling a Strategic Push for Innovation

Ultimately, the appointments of Freels and Ranalli signal more than just a change in personnel; they represent a deliberate strategic push to accelerate innovation and cement Neogen’s leadership in food safety. The move has been met with early optimism from investors, who pushed the company's stock up 4.4% in premarket trading following the announcement, viewing the hires as a validation of the company's renewed focus.

By installing a leadership team with deep roots in the diagnostics industry, Neogen is signaling its intent to fully leverage the technological assets acquired from 3M and drive the development of next-generation products. This strategic focus is expected to help the company move beyond its recent integration challenges and unlock the full synergistic potential of its expanded portfolio. The combined expertise of this new leadership is designed to ensure Neogen not only meets the current demands of the food safety market but also anticipates and shapes its future.