HUBBARD has appointed Shane Noble as Senior Technical Manager Europe, effective April 1, 2026. Based in the United Kingdom, Noble reports directly to Dr Roberto Yamawaki, Global Technical Director.
Mr Noble brings more than two decades of practical poultry sector experience to the role, with a background spanning breeder farm management, hatchery operations, regional farming leadership and breeder placement planning.
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He began his poultry career in 2002 as a breeder farm worker for PD Hook, before progressing to Assistant Farm Manager and Site Manager. He later became Area Manager for the Western Region for 2 Agriculture, overseeing multiple breeder and rearing farms. During this period, his teams achieved several “Flock of the Year” awards in the UK.
In early 2019, Mr Noble was promoted to lead all farming operations, including a hatchery, across the Western Region of the UK. In 2025, his responsibilities were expanded to include breeder placement planning and the supply of 6.5 million chicks per week across six hatcheries for a large integrator.
Mr Noble has also held industry responsibilities as Chairman of the Breeders and Hatcheries group within the British Poultry Council. He was recently certified as a Chartered Manager by the Chartered Management Institute in the UK.
Key Link
Following a three-month onboarding period, Mr Noble will lead Hubbard’s technical team in Europe and act as a key link between field operations and the company’s R&D department.
During the absence of Patrick Nicholls, Mr Noble will also manage sales and technical follow-up in the UK and Ireland, supported by James Bentley and Hannah Muus. In this capacity, he reports to Paul van Boekholt, Business Manager NW Europe.
“We are delighted that Shane is joining the Hubbard family,” said Dr Yamawaki. “With his years of field experience in breeders and hatchery management, he is the ideal person to manage and support our technical team members, enabling us to take our customer support for all users of Hubbard Premium breeds to the next level.”
