After more than 40 years at the forefront of rodent control innovation, BASF’s Sharon Hughes has announced that she will retire from her role this summer.
Ms Hughes, who has been the global technical marketing manager at BASF for 44 years, will step down from her position at the end of June.
During her illustrious career spanning more than four decades, Ms Hughes has been the driving force behind bringing several revolutionary new products to the market, including BASF’s popular Storm and Neosorexa ranges, and most notably, the award-winning cholecalciferol rodenticide, Selontra®.
Her journey began in 1979, when she took on the role as a junior lab technician at Sorex after finishing college. From there, her love of biology and animal behaviour quickly became apparent, prompting her to return to education to gain a degree in Applied Biology at the University of Greenwich, before eventually returning to Sorex as lab manager where she continued to progress through the ranks.
When the company was acquired by BASF in 2010, Ms Hughes continued to lead the way in research and development by setting out to find an alternative active ingredient to replace the anticoagulant rodenticides on the market at the time.
Over the years, she has held various pivotal roles within the industry, demonstrating unparalleled expertise, infectious passion and a deep understanding of both animal biology and behaviour, alongside the demands of the market.
Speaking of her retirement, Ms Hughes said: “It has been an incredible privilege to work in pest control for the past four decades. I’m profoundly grateful to have worked with some of the best in the business and contributed to some significant advancements in the sector.
“While I will be sorry to take a big- step back from my current role and responsibilities, I am excited to start this next chapter of my life. That being said, I’ve no doubt you may see me popping up occasionally at industry events in the future, and I will remain an active member of the Rodenticide Resistance Action Group (RRAG)”
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