Dr. T. Pearse Lyons is the founder and president of Alltech, a global animal health company that employs more than 2,800 people and conducts business in 128 countries. Founded in 1980, the company has grown to annual sales of $700 million.

Pearse received his bachelor’s degree from University College Dublin and obtained his master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Birmingham, England. He worked as a biochemist for Irish Distillers before founding Alltech. Since then, he has authored more than 20 books and numerous research papers in scientific journals.

Alltech’s commitment to equestrian sport began with the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky, attended by more than half a million spectators and seen by 500 million television viewers. Pearse’s leadership led to his receiving the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s first-ever Legacy Award in 2011. In 2012, he was named Business Person of the Year by Business & Finance and received the Ireland-U.S. Council’s Award for Outstanding Achievement. Dublin-born Pearse and his wife, Deirdre, have two children, Aoife and Mark. His Irish heritage fills him “with a sense of belonging.”