The Top 100 People in the Bioeconomy, 2013-14; plus, the complete top 300

December 31, 2013 |

The Top 100 People in the Bioeconomy for 2013-14, as selected by the readers and editors of The Digest:

1. Tom Vilsack, US Secretary of Agriculture
2. Jonathan Wolfson, CEO, Solazyme
3. Jeff Lautt, CEO, POET, Jeff Broin, Chairman, POET
4. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, LanzaTech
5. Michael McAdams, President, Advanced Biofuels Association
6. Brent Erickson, EVP Industrial & Environmental Section, BIO
7. Guido Ghisolfi, CEO, Beta Renewables
8. Christophe Schilling, CEO, Genomatica
9. Bob Dinneen, President, Renewable Fuels Association
10. Jim Collins, President, DuPont Industrial Biosciences

11. Fred Cannon, PhD, CEO, KiOR
12. Vasco Dias, CEO, Raizen
13. Daniel Oh, CEO, Renewable Energy Group
14. Bruce Dale, PhD, Michigan State University
15. Jonathan Male, Valerie Reed, Joyce Yang, DOE Biomass Program
16. Joe Jobe, CEO, National Biodiesel Board
17. Ray Mabus, US Secretary of the Navy
18. Brooke Coleman, Executive Director, Advanced Ethanol Council
19. Peter Williams, CEO, INEOS BIO; Mark Niederschulte, COO; Dan Cummings VP
20. Tom Buis, President; Wes Clark co-chairman, Growth Energy

21. Philip New, CEO, BP Biofuels, Sue Ellerbusch, President
22. Pat Gruber, PhD, CEO, Gevo
23. Robert Brown, PhD, Professor, Iowa State University
24. Peder Holk Nielsen, CEO, Novozymes
25. Matthew Tipper, VP, Alternative Energy, Shell
26. Cynthia (C.J.) Warner, Chairman and CEO, Sapphire Energy
27. Jay Keasling, PhD, Professor, UC Berkeley
28. Bernardo Gradin, CEO, GranBio; Theodora Retsina, CEO, American Process
29. Todd Becker, CEO, Green Plains Renewable Energy; Tim Burns, CEO, BioProcess Algae
30. Mary Rosenthal, Exec Dir, Algal Biomass Organization

31. Lee Edwards, CEO, Virent, Randy Cortright, PhD, CTO, Virent Energy Systems
32. Feike Sijbesma, CEO; Anton Robek, President Bio-based Products and Services, DSM
33. Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa; Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan; Terry Branstad, Governor of Iowa
34. Dennis McGinn, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy; Tom Hicks, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy; Chris Tindal, Director, Energy Policy, US Navy;
35. Harry Baumes, Director, Energy Policy, USDA; Ernest Moniz, Secretary of Energy; David Danielson, US Assistant Secretary of Energy
36. Paul Woods, CEO, Algenol
37. Vincent Chornet, CEO, Enerkem; Tim Cesarak, Sr VP, Enerkem
38. John Melo, CEO, Amyris
39. Mike Hamilton. CEO, Renmatix; Fred Moesler, CTO, Renmatix

40. Matti Lievonen, CEO, Neste Oil
41. Sarah Bittleman, Sr. Agricultural Counselor, EPA
42. Doug Cameron, Tom Erickson, co-presidents, First Green
43. Richard Hamilton, CEO, Ceres
44. Jim Macias, CEO, Fulcrum Bioenergy
45. Tom Foust, PhD, NREL; Director, National Advanced Biofuels Consortium; Jose Olivares, PhD, Director, National Alliance For Advanced Biofuels and Bio-Products
46. Mike Cheiky, Founder and CTO, Cool Planet Energy Systems; Howard Janzen, CEO
47. Jim Rekoske, VP & GM, Honeywell’s UOP
48. Nancy Young, VP, Environmental Affairs, Airlines for America, Rich Altman, Exec Director Emeritus, CAAFI, John Heimlich, Chief Economist, Airlines for America; Bill Glover, VP, Boeing
49. Paul Beckwith, CEO, Butamax
50. Bob Mayer, CEO, Cobalt Technologies

51. Bill Brady, CEO, Mascoma
52. Anna Rath, CEO, NexSteppe
53. Bill Lese, MD, Braemar Energy Ventures
54. Matt Horton, CEO, Propel Fuels
55. Jan Koninckx, Global Business Director for Biofuels, DuPont; Michael Arbige, PhD, Exec VP, Dupont Industrial Biosciences,
56. John May, Managing Director, Stern Brothers; Mark Riedy, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend; John Kirkwood, Kreig DeVault
57. Kirk Haney, CEO, SG Biofuels
58. Rob Vierhout, Secretary General, ePure
59. Sean Sutcliffe, CEO; Joel Stone, President, North America, Green Biologivcs
60. Pramod Chaudhari, CEO, PRAJ Industries

61. Dr. George Huber, University of Wisconsin; Jim Dumesic, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
62. Chas Eggert, CEO, OPX Bio
63. Mark Emalfarb, CEO, Dyadic International
64. Brian Foody, CEO, Iogen
65. Lee Lynd, PhD, Professor of Engineering, Dartmouth College; Charles Wyman, PhD, Professor, UC Riverside; Lonnie Ingram, Professor, University of Florida.
66. Jim Gillingham, Sr, VP, Valero; Jim Sayre, Senior MD, Cargill Ventures
67. Ganesh Kishore, PhD, CEO, Malaysian Life Sciences Fund, Roger Wyse, co-chairman, Malaysian Life Sciences Fund
68. Noubar Afeyan, PhD, CEO, Flagship Ventures, David Berry, MD, Flagship Ventures
69. K’Lynne Johnson, CEO, Elevance Renewable Science
70. Chris Somerville, PhD, Professor, UC Berkeley Director, EBI

71. Scott Vitters, The Coca-Cola Company; Tom van Aken, CEO Avantium
72. Wayne Simmons, CEO, Sundrop Fuels
73. Daphne Preuss, CEO, Chromatin
74. Eric McAfee, CEO, Aemetis
75. Todd Taylor, Partner, Frederickson & Byron
76. Barry Cohen, Executive Director, National Algae Association
77. Chris Standlee, EVP, Abengoa Bioenergy
78. James Liao, Professor, UCLA
79. Steven Mayfield, Professor, UCSD
80. Vinod Khosla, Managing Partner; Samir Kaul, MD, Khosla Ventures

81. Jerry Fiddler, Chairman, Solazyme; Jean-Marc Rotsaert, COO; Mark Warner, Senior Vice President of Engineering; Bob Ames, Vice President, Fuels Commercialization
82. Dr. Susan Pond, chairman, Australian Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Fuels
83. Vonnie Estes, Managing Director, Americas, GranBio; Basil Karempelas, President, American Process
84. Philip Pienkos, PhD, NREL
85. John Benemann, PhD, CEO, Benemann Associates
86. Jeff Webster, COO, Tim Zenk, SVP, Sapphire Energy
87. Kef Kasdin, CEO, Proterro; Arunas Chesonis, Ceo, Sweetwater Energy
88. Jerry Calder, Managing Partner, Finistere Vantures; Denis Lucquin, Sofinnova Partners
89. Doug Berven, VP, POET

90. Joanne Ivancic, Exec Dir, Advanced Biofuels USA
91. Graham Noyes, Partner, Stoel Rives
92. Dan Simon, CEO, Heliae
93. Geoff Cooper, VP, Renewable Fuels Association
94. Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO, SkyNRG
95. Riggs Eckelberry, CEO, OriginOil
96. Jim Stewart, President, Bioenergy Producers Association
97. Michael Adams, University of Georgia
98. Kelly Tiller, CEO, Genera Energy
99. Bill Radany, CEO Verdezyne
100. John Plaza, CEO, Imperium Renewables

Also in the Top 300

Adam Monroe, President, North America, Novozymes
Al Darzins, R&D Director, Gas Technology Institute
Al Franken, US Senator, Minnesota
Alan Hiltner, Executive VP, GranBio
Alan Robinson, CEO, Paradigm Bio Aviation
Alan Shaw, CEO, Calysta Energy
Alison Goss-Eng, Acting Director of the Feedstock Program, DOE
Alwin Kopse, Exec. Director, Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels
Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute
Amy Klobuchar, US Senator, Minnesota
Anne Steckel, VP, Government Affairs, National Biodiesel Board
Andres Villegas, President, Catchlight Energy
Andrew Baum, CEO Arborgen
Andrew Makenete, President, Southern African Biofuels Association
Andrew Rojeski, Vice President and General Manager of Renewable Energy, Tyson Foods
Andy Karsner, chairman, Manifest Energy; Direector, Codexis
Executive Chairman, Manifest Energy, Inc.
Anil Kumar Dhussa, Director, Biofuels, Ministry of Renewable Energy, Govt. of India.
Anne Korin, Exec. Director, Set America Free Coalition
Anne Steckel, National Biodiesel Board
Annie Hazlehurst, MD, Capricorn Investments
Anthony Sinskey, Professor, MIT
Aristos Aristidou, Technology Director, Cargill Biotechnology Development Center
Arnold Klann, CEO, Bluefire Renewables
Atul Thakrar, CEO, Segetis

Barry Blackwell, CEO, Akermin
Ben Cloud, President & CEO, Phyco BioSciences, Inc.
Bernard McMahon, University of Minnesota
Beth Viola, Partner, Holland & Knight
Bill Charneski, COO, OriginOil
Bill Roe, CEO, Coskata
Bliss Baker, MD, Global Renewable Fuels Alliance
Bob Blankenship, PhD, Professor, Washington University; Director, PARC
Bob Cleaves, President, Biomass Power Association
Bob Walsh, Managing Director, Intrexon
Brendan Jordan, Program Director, Great Plains Institute/Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota
Brent H. Shanks, Director, NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals
Bret Turner, Silicon Valley Bank
Brian Davison ORNL
Brian Thome, CEO, Edeniq
Bruce Braley, US Congressman, (D-IA)
Bryan Yeh, Executive Vice President, Technology, ZeaChem

Carol Babb, Director, Renewable Generation Group R. W. Beck/SAIC
Carolyn J. Fritz, Allylix, Inc
Catherine Cobden, Forest Product Association Canada
Cenan Ozmeral, Myriant Corporation
Chad Stone, CFO Renewable Energy Group
Charles Cooney, PhD, Professor, MIT
Charles Fishel, Chairman/CEO, Abundant Biofuels Corporation
Chris Cassidy, USDA
Chris Groobey, Partner, Wilson Sonsini
Chris Ryan, PhD, EVP Business Development & CTO, Gevo
Christian Morgen, Inbicon
Colin South, CEO, Novogy
Corinne Young, re:chem

D.K.J. Tommel, President, Netherlands Bioenergy Association
Dan Adler, California Clean Energy Fund
Dan Trunfio, CEO, Midori Renewables
Danny Allison, Sustainability Manager, Abengoa Bioenergy
Dave Austgen, CBO, Proterro
Dave Van de Griend, ICM
Dave Sams, Director Business Development, Albemarle
David Anton, CEO, Anton Advisors
David Bransby, PhD, Auburn University School of Agronomy & Soils
David Bressler, University of Alberta
David Cepla, Envergent Technologies
David Hitchcock, VP, Corporate Affairs, Virent
David Hogsett, VP and CTO OPX Biotechnologies, Inc.
David Tenny, President, National Assn. of Forest Owners
David Tilman, PhD, Professor, University of Minnesota
David Witherspoon, Head of Renewable Fuels, Syngenta
Dennis Banasiak, CEO, Avello Bioenergy
Derek Hundert General Manager PlanET Biogas St. Catharines Ontario
Dilma Roussef, President of Brazil
Donald D. Huffman, P.E., Director of Engineering, Plant Services, Inc.
Doug Dudgeon, VP Harris Group
Doug Durante, Clean Fuels Development Coalition
Douglas L. Faulkner, Douglas L. Faulkner, President, Leatherstocking LLC and former DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and former USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development.
Doug Machon, VP, NAES Corporation

Elizabeth Farina, CEO, UNICA
Emile Van Zyl, PhD, Professor, Stellenbosch University
Eric Mathur, Chief Technologist, SGB
Erik Straser, MD, Mohr Davidow Ventures
Esteban Chornet, CTO and co-founder, Enerkem

Frances Arnold, Professor, Cal Tech
Frank Mars, Chairman, Heliae

Gal Luft, Exec. Director, Institute for the Analysis of Global Security
Gene Jones, Exec. Director, Southern Waste Information Exchange
George Church, PhD, Professor, Harvard University
Glenn Steele, Director, Sustainable Energy Research Center
Gord Surgeoner, President, Ontario Agri-Food Technologies
Greg Kiessling, co-founder of Bullfrog Energy and Up Capital
Greg Mitchell, PhD, Professor, Scripps Instituion of Oceanography
Greg Young, MD, Malaysian Life Sciences
Guido Zacchi, PhD, Professor, Lund University

Harrison Dillon
Hemant Taneja, MD, General Catalyst Partners
Henrik Maimann, CEO, Inbicon
Hoyt Thomas, CEO, OpenAlgae

Ian Jepson, Head of Biofuels R&D, Syngenta

Jack Huttner, CEO, Huttner Strategies
Jack Oswald, CEO, SynGest
Jack Saddler, UBC
Jacques Beaudry-Losique, SVP Corporate and Business Development, Algenol
James H. Dooley, CTO of Forest Concepts,LLC
Jamie Bacher, CEO, Pareto Biotechnologies
Jason Matlof, Battery Ventures
Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington
Jean-Francois Huc President. BioAmber
Jeff Passmore, Passmore Group
Jeff Webster COO, Sapphire Energy Inc
Jeffrey Jacobs, Vice President for Biofuels, Chevron Technology Ventures
Jim Gennaro, NYC Councilman
Jim Hileman, Chief Scientist, FAA
Jim MacMillan, NREL
Jim Matheson, CEO, Oasis Water; Venture Partner, Flagship Ventures
Jim Woolsey, Vantage Partners
Jim Millis, CTO, BioAmber
Jim Zahn, Vice President, Research & Development, DuPont Tate & Lyle BioProducts
Joel Matsunaga, CFO, Hawaii Bioenergy
Joel Velasco, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & External Relations, Amyris
John Benemann, PhD, CEO, Benemann Associates
John Doerr, Managing Partner, Kleiner Perkins; Amol Deshpande, Partner, Kleiner Perkins
John Evans VP Science and Technology POET
John Hamer, Investment Director, Monsanto Growth Ventures
John Kasbaum, SVP, KiOR
John Nicols, CEO, Codexis
John Pierce, Partner, DLA Piper
Julio Guillen, President, Asociacion Peruana de Productores de Azucar y Biocombustibles

Karen Rodgers Newell, Professor, Texas A&M
Karl Seck, CEO, Mercurius Biofuels
Keith Cooksey, PhD, Professor, Montana State University
Kelly Tiller, PhD, CEO, Genera Energy
Kevin Kephart, Vice President of Research and Development at South Dakota State University
Kevin Gray, Vice President, Biobased Chemicals, BetaRenewables
Kevin Weiss, CEO, Byogy Renewables
Kristala Jones Prather, Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, MIT
Kristina Burow, Partner, ARCH Venture Partners
Kyriakos Maniatis, EC DG ENER, Brussels

Larry Johnson, PhD, Professor, Iowa State University
Larry Walker, PhD, Cornell University, Co-Editor of Industrial Biotechnology Magazine, Dir. of NE Sun Grant Institute
Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones, CEO, LiveFuels
Lloyd Ritter, Capitol Strategies
Lonnie Ingram, Professor, University of Florida.
Luc van der Wielen – Professor, Delft University
Luca Zullo, Principal, VerdeNero

Marc Verbruggen, PhD, NatureWorks, LLC
Marcel Lubben – Bio-based Chemicals & Materials, DSM
Marcos Lutz, CEO, Cosan
Margaret McCormick, CEO, Matrix Genetics
Mark Allen, Accelergy
Mark Beemer, President, Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings
Mark Mascal, PhD, UC Davis
Mark Rumizen, Director, Airworthiness Office, FAA
Mark Salmon, co-chair, US House Algae Caucus
Mark Schweiker, CRO and SVP, Renmatix
Mark Udall, US Senator Colorado
Mark Wong, Chairman, Agrivida
Markus Rarbach, head, Biofuels & Derivatives, Clariant
Markus Pompejus, Head of Research Bioactive Materials and Biotechnology at BASF Corporation
Martin Lidegaard, Danish Miniter of Energy & Climate Change
Martin Sabarsky, CEO Cellana
Matt Croughan, CTO, Sapphire Energy Inc.
Matt Carr, BIO
Max Kolesnik, Co-Founder President Pond Biofuels Toronto Ontario
Michael A. Schultz, PhD Vice President Engineering, LanzaTech
Michael Brower, CEO, ACORE
Michael Goergen, President, Society of American Foresters
Michael Mendez, co-founder, Pareto Biotechnologies
Michael Raab, CEO, Agrivida
Michael VanDrunen, CEO Algix
Michael Wang, Section Leader, Systems Assessments, Argonne National Laboratory
Miguel Rossetto, CEO, Petrobras Biocombustivel
Mike Hart, CEO, SIerra Energy
Mike Knauf, CEO, Rivertop Renewables
Mike Ladisch, Purdue University
Monte Shaw, Executive Director, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association
Murray McLaughlin, Executive Director, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada

Naveen Sikka, CEO, TerViva
Neil Koehler, CEO, Pacific Ethanol
Neill McKinstray, President, Ethanol Group, The Andersons
Neils Henriksen, CTO, Inbicon
Neville Fernandes, President, Neste Oil US
Nicholas Eckelberry. Co-Founder & Chief Inventor, OriginOil

Oliver Peoples, Founder and CSO of Metabolix

Paal Bakken, CEO, Seaweed Energy Solutions
Pamela Silver, Harvard
Patrick Foody, Iogen
Paul Bryan, adjunct professor, University of California at Berkeley, former DOE Biomass Program Director
Paul Gilna – Director BESC
Paul O’Connor, President, BIOeCON
Paul Sellew, CEO, Harvest Power
Paul Snaith, COO, Joule Unlimited Inc.
Paul Steele, IATA
Paulo Roberto de Souza, CEO, Copersucar
Per Dahlen – COO, RainTrust Plantations LLC
Peter Licari, CTO, Solazyme
Peter Nieh, MD, Lightspeed Venture Partners
Peter Schrum, President, BBK
Philip Wolfe, CEO, UK Renewable Energy Association
Philipe Lavielle VIRDIA
Phyllis Cuttino, Pew Charitable Trust

Rafael Hernandez, Professor, Mississippi State University
Rafaello Garofalo, Secretary General, European Biodiesel Board
Randall Doyal, CEO, Al-Corn Clean Fuel
Ravi Randhava, PhD, CTO, SynGest
Rich Cilento, CEO, GlycosBio
Richard Hahn, President, 25x’25
Robert Do, CEO, Solena Fuels
Robert Graham, CEO, Ensyn
Robert E. Kozak, CEO, Atlantic Biomass Energy
Robert Johnsen CEO Primus Green Energy
Robert Nelsen, MD, Arch Venture Partners
Robert Rapier, CTO, Merica International
Rolf Fiebig Zarges, Asociacion Chilena de Energias Renovables
Roman Wolff – CEO Enhanced Biofuels

Sam Jackson, Genera Energy
Scott Peters, member, US House of Representatives (D-CA), co-chair, US House Algae Caucus
Scott Thurlow, Canadian Renewable Fuels Association
Sean O’Hanlon, former CEO, American Biofuels Council
Shulin Chen, PhD, Professor, Washington State University
Stefan Unnasch, Managing Director of Life Cycle Associates, LLC
Stephan Blum, Whitefox Technologies
Stephan Tanda, DSM North America
Steve Davey, DSM
Steve del Cardayre, Vice President Research and Development, LS9
Steve Gatto, Board Member, Myriant
Steve Goldby, Partner, Venrock
Steve Hartig, General Manager POET-DSM
Steve Hutcheson, Board of Directors, Aemetis
Steve Kay, PhD, Professor, UCSB
Steve Lewis, Vice President Poet
Steve Toon, Executive Vice President, Gevo
Suzanne Hunt, Hunt Green, Washington DC

Thomas Amidon, Prof SUNY-ESF, Syracuse
Thomas Murphy, CEO SR Energy
Thomas Taylor, The Dow Chemical Company
Thomas Pschorn, Director of Applied Technology, Andritz
Tim Brown, CSO and VP Finance, Renmatix
Tim Eggeman, ZeaChem
Tim Rials, Professor and Director, Univ. of Tennessee Center for Renewable Carbon
Tjerk de Ruiter, CEO, LS9
Todd Campbell, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Todd Hill, CEO, Promethean Biofuels
Todd Taylor, Partner, Fredrickson & Byron
Todd Werpy VP Research, ADM
Tom Baruch, CEO, CMEA
Tom Byrne, CEO, Byrne & Company
Tom Udall, US Senator New Mexico
Tom Verry, National Biodiesel Board, Director of Outreach and Development
Tom Weirich, SVP, Corporate Relations, American Council On Renewable Energy
Tyler Painter, CFO, Solazyme

Wade Robey, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer – POET
Walter Wendland, CEO, Golden Grain Energy
Wes Bolsen, Global Partnerships, Cool Planet Energy Systems
Will Thurmond, CEO, Emerging Markets Online
William Feehery, Dupont
William Lee, CEO, Frontline BioEnergy

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