George Wells, Director, Technology Transfer, Nestlé Purina PetCare Product Technology Center, Nestlé Research Centre
George received a degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Guelph. He began his career selling Veterinary Biologicals and Pharmaceuticals for companies like Fromm, Solvay and Merck. He then completed an international M.B.A. at McGill University in Montreal and at ESADE (Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas) in Barcelona, Spain. After a brief exposure running a North American developer to the Apple Software Market and leading Bike tours in France, George returned to the Companion Animal Health and Wellness Market with Purina Canada, where he eventually became a Vice President of Sales and Marketing and an Innovation Pillar Captain.
Four years ago George made the transition into Research to help direct the path of Product Development at Nestlé Purina PetCare in St. Louis, Missouri. More recently he became a Director in both the Nestle Research Centre in Lausanne Switzerland in addition to the Product Technology Centre of Nestle Purina PetCare based in St. Louis, Missouri. Both are under the Research arm of Nestlé, Nestec. His current work centers around Technology Transfer, Venture Capital, Intellectual Property and Alliance Management, functioning internally to foster Open Innovation and to accelerate the Innovation Process within Nestlé Purina PetCare.
George is a past member of the Board of the Canadian Animal Health Institute, the Scientific and Advisory Council of the Grocery Products Manufacturing Institute of Canada, Industry Canada Advisory Council on Self Regulation of Pet Foods, the Strategic Leadership Forum of Toronto and the Small Grants Fund Steering Committee for the Canadian Society for International Health (CIDA). Presently he is a member of the Association of Alliance Professionals and a member of the Association of University Technology Managers.