Bioline Agrosciences Africa (BAS Africa) has named Benjamin Desruelle asits new Africa Business Unit Director.
Formerly the international finance controller at the Bioline Agrosciences Group headquarters in Paris, Desruelle joined the BAS Africa team in 2021 as chief operating officer, where he led the integration of BAS Africa into the Bioline Agrosicences Group.
He holds a master’s degree in accounting and finance from Neoma Business School.
Tom Mason officially leaves the Bioline team at the end of the year. ●
Benjamin Desruelle.African Business Unit Director,Bioline Agrosciences Africa
Freight Farms, Inc. announced the appointment of Brad Griffith as chief executive officer. Griffith has also joined the boardof directors.
As a global life sciences executive and strategic advisor with a passion for sustainable Agri-Food systems, Griffith has accelerated startups and turnarounds, transformed commercial and manufacturing operations, and grown multibillion-dollar P&Ls.
Previously as chief commercial officer at Kansas-based Compass Minerals, Griffith led the global commercial plant nutrition and salt businesses, global supply chain, and global R&D. Prior to Compass Minerals, he spent over 17 years with Monsanto Company in agriculture and pharmaceuticals. Griffith is also an operating partner at Ajax Strategies and Skyline Global Partners, and he is an independent board director for Midwestern BioAg.
Griffith has a BA, Liberal Arts and Sciences (Economics, Finance) from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA, Business Administration and Management, General, from Washington University in St. Louis - Olin Business School. ●
Brad Griffith,Chief Executive Officer,Freight Farms, Inc.
Fischer Farms, the firm behind one of the world’s largest vertical farms, has appointed Chris Kirke as CEO.
Kirke will manage the day-to-day operations and focus on the strategic direction of Fischer Farms. He will also play a key role in nurturing relationships with existing and new customers.
Kirke, who has over 26 years’ experience in the FMCG market in the US and UK, joins from Moy Park where he was CEO for over six years. He also spent over a decade with Greencore US, holding both managing director and CEO roles.
Tristan Fischer, founder of Fischer Farms, will move into the Group CEO role, maintaining his position as the visionary of the company and driving global expansion. He will focus on future activities, including innovation and R&D, as well as overseeing brand and culture development. ●
Chris Kirke,CEO,Fischer Farms
Biotalys announces the appointment of Kamal El Mernissi as chief business development officer (CBDO).
El Mernissi will lead the company’s efforts to secure partnerships with major agricultural players that can benefit from the AGROBODY Foundry technology platform to develop biofungicides and bio-insecticides with new modes of action.
With more than 15 years of experience in agriculture and a broad variety of leadership positions in marketing and sales, El Mernissi most recently served as the vice president, sales and marketing North America at Marrone Bio Innovations (currently Pro Farm Group).
Prior to his role at Marrone, El Mernissi held various commercial leadership roles at Syngenta, where he was portfolio manager North America and LATAM, commercial unit head and director of sales for Morocco, and asset manager EMEA. Prior to that, he took up various roles in sales and marketing in companies such as DELL and SIKA.
El Mernissi obtained his Engineering Diploma in Agriculture from the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute (Morocco) and his MBA at the University of California, Berkeley (United States). ●
Kamal El Mernissi,CBDO,Biotalys
Koppert has strengthened its executive team with the introduction of a new global leadership team and new executive board. Koppert says the new leadership structure enables the company to better adapt to regional needs while pursuing its long-term goals.
The global leadership team is responsible for driving growth, optimising processes and improving customer focus in different regions worldwide. The members of this team are:
Director North America and Asia-Pacific: René Ruiter
Director South America: Gustavo Hermann and Danilo Scacalossi Pedrazzoli
Director Europe, Middle East and Africa a.i.: René Ruiter
Director of Transformation: Peter Maes
Director of Marketing: Adriana Boock
Director Innovation: Sjoerd van der Ent
Director of Operations: Peter Couwels
Boaz Oosthoek is responsible for the region of South Europe and Middle East Africa, while Jurjen Boeringa is responsible for North Europe.
Meanwhile, Koppert’s board of directors focuses on strategic decision-making and ensuring sustainable growth and stability in a changing market. They oversee the company's overall direction, safeguard the core values internationally, and foster effective collaboration with stakeholders at all levels. The board of directors includes CEO René Koppert, CBO Martin Koppert, and CFO Erik-Jan Verdegaal. ●
Koppert board of directors includes (from l-r) CFO Erik-Jan Verdegaal, CEO René Koppert, and CBO Martin Koppert.
Source.ag, the provider of AI solutions for vegetable growers, announced the appointment of Matthias Stammen as its new chief commercial officer.
Stammen brings extensive experience driving commercial success for companies across Europe, the US, and Asia. He previously held key leadership roles at the food service company Choco and the supply chain solutions provider Forto, where he was instrumental in their journey to unicorn status.
At Source.ag, he will fulfill his ambition to lead efforts towards a more efficient, sustainable, and climate-resilient food production system that will benefit billions of people and promote access to healthier diets on a global scale.
Stammen has a Master'sdegree from CopenhagenBusiness School. ●
Matthias Stammen, Cheif Commercial Officer,Source.ag
Rovensa Next, the global biosolutions business unit of Rovensa Group, has appointed Riccardo Vanelli as chief commercial officer.
Vanelli, who joined Rovensa Next in March as Head of EMEA, has been appointed as CCO to reinforce the company’s commercial presence by building close relationships with customers, distributors, and growers, whist offering optimum support to enhance their productivity and solving their sustainability challenges.
Vanelli has 20 years of experience in the agricultural industry. He began his career in management consultancy at Accenture, specialising in business process reengineering and change management. He later transitioned to Syngenta, as the Head of Biologicals Business Unit for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, following his earlier role as Crop Protection Business Unit Head & Managing Director Italy. Vanelli spearheaded the regional integration of Valagro into Syngenta, where he served as president in his final year. Among other roles, he has also chaired the Crop Protection Industry Association in Italy serving as President of Agrofarma. ●
Riccardo Vanelli,Cheif Commerical Officer,Rovensa Next
