Elanco Names Robert VanHimbergen as New CFO, Succeeding Todd Young in Strategic Leadership Transition
Elanco Animal Health Incorporated has officially announced the appointment of Robert (Bob) VanHimbergen as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective July 7, 2025. The move marks a significant leadership transition for the global animal health company, coming at a time of notable momentum and strategic evolution. VanHimbergen will succeed outgoing CFO Todd Young, who will remain with Elanco through August 31, 2025, in an advisory capacity to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.
The appointment follows an extensive and competitive executive search process, reflecting Elanco’s deep commitment to bolstering its leadership team with seasoned professionals aligned with its long-term vision for sustainable growth and value creation.
A Seasoned Financial Leader with a Track Record of Transformation
VanHimbergen brings nearly three decades of experience in global finance, enterprise transformation, and strategic execution across multinational corporations. He joins Elanco from Hillenbrand, Inc., where he has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. At Hillenbrand, VanHimbergen played a central role in leading the company through a major transformation—helping reposition it as a focused, pure-play industrial enterprise.
Before joining Hillenbrand, VanHimbergen held various senior leadership roles during a 15-year tenure at Johnson Controls, a global leader in building technologies and energy solutions. While at Johnson Controls, he was instrumental in driving finance, accounting, and reporting functions at a global level. He also played a prominent role in the company’s strategic enterprise transformation efforts, contributing to initiatives that reshaped Johnson Controls’ global operations and market presence.
His international experience includes serving as CFO of the $9 billion automotive interiors business based in Shanghai, China, where he oversaw complex financial operations across Asia. Additionally, he led the battery division in the region, further demonstrating his aptitude for navigating diverse markets and managing cross-border teams.
Earlier in his career, VanHimbergen spent nearly a decade at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he worked closely with major multinational corporations. There, he built a strong foundation in audit, financial planning, and compliance that continues to inform his leadership approach today.
Driving Value Creation Amid Growth Momentum
VanHimbergen’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Elanco, which is experiencing steady performance gains across its business segments. The company has posted seven consecutive quarters of growth, underscoring the strength of its diversified product portfolio and the impact of strategic initiatives aimed at innovation, global expansion, and operational excellence.
“We are excited for Bob to join the Elanco Executive Committee to help guide the continuation of our increasing value creation,” said Jeff Simmons, Elanco’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “With seven consecutive quarters of growth and a portfolio of potential blockbusters in launch mode, Elanco is focused on accelerating growth, globalizing and maximizing existing innovation, supporting the next wave of innovation, expanding margins, and improving cash generation.”
Simmons emphasized that VanHimbergen’s leadership philosophy and depth of experience align closely with Elanco’s evolving priorities. “Bob’s nearly three decades of experience leading finance organizations, along with his leadership style focused on value creation, will be extremely beneficial to build on our current momentum as we maximize the opportunity in front of us.”
VanHimbergen expressed enthusiasm about joining Elanco’s leadership team during such a dynamic period in the company’s evolution. “I am thrilled to join Elanco at this exciting time with the company’s momentum and diverse portfolio of innovation,” he said. “I look forward to working with the leadership team to execute on the company’s strategy, accelerate growth, and enhance shareholder value.”
A Thoughtful Leadership Transition
Elanco’s leadership team has underscored the importance of continuity and strategic alignment as it prepares for this transition in its finance leadership. Outgoing CFO Todd Young will serve in an advisory capacity through the end of August 2025, ensuring that VanHimbergen’s onboarding is smooth and that critical financial priorities continue uninterrupted during the handoff.
Simmons acknowledged Young’s substantial contributions to the company during his tenure, particularly through periods of intense organizational transformation and external market challenges. “On behalf of the entire Elanco organization, we are grateful for Todd’s contributions as we stood up Elanco as an independent company, completed acquisitions to diversify our portfolio, increased our global scale, delivered innovation, enhanced capabilities, and took important steps to pay down debt,” Simmons stated.
He continued, “I express my appreciation to Todd for his more than six years of leadership with the Elanco team and enhancing animal health. I greatly value everything Todd has done to put Elanco in a position of strength. This is the right time for a proactive change.”
Under Young’s financial leadership, Elanco achieved several key milestones. These include the company’s successful spin-off from Eli Lilly in 2018, multiple portfolio-enhancing acquisitions such as Bayer Animal Health, and the rollout of innovative financial strategies to manage debt and drive operational leverage. His efforts were foundational to Elanco’s establishment as an independent, innovation-driven animal health company capable of competing at a global scale.
Reflecting on his tenure, Young said, “It has been my privilege to work alongside such a dedicated Elanco team to position the company for its next stage of growth. Elanco is well positioned to execute its strategy, and I look forward to supporting this transition.”
Financial Guidance Reaffirmed Amid Transition
Despite the executive change, Elanco reaffirmed both its second-quarter and full-year 2025 financial guidance previously announced during its Q1 earnings call on May 7, 2025. This reaffirmation signals the company’s confidence in its ongoing performance trajectory and commitment to disciplined execution.
Elanco’s continued focus includes advancing its late-stage pipeline of innovative animal health solutions, improving its profitability profile, and delivering consistent shareholder returns. The company’s strong business fundamentals and deep bench of leadership talent provide a solid foundation for the next chapter of growth.
As Elanco prepares to welcome VanHimbergen into his new role in July, the company is positioning itself to capitalize on a rich pipeline of innovation, continued operational improvements, and new opportunities in emerging and international markets. The CFO transition is part of a broader effort to align Elanco’s executive leadership with its strategic priorities, including margin expansion, cash generation, and disciplined capital allocation.
With a renewed leadership structure, a proven financial strategist stepping in as CFO, and continued execution on its core business strategy, Elanco is signaling to investors, partners, and customers alike that it is firmly focused on long-term, sustainable value creation.
Elanco Animal Health is a global leader in animal health, dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services that prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. Headquartered in Greenfield, Indiana, Elanco develops solutions that empower veterinarians, farmers, and pet owners around the world to improve the health and well-being of animals, enhance food security, and promote sustainable agricultur
