On the Move – National Biodiesel Board, USDA, American Soybean Association, Haldor Topsoe, National Hydrogen Council, PNNL

December 15, 2020 |

We have lots of moves going on in the bioeconomy recently with a new leadership position created at the National Biodiesel Board, a farewell to Steve Censky who leaves his USDA post to return to the helm of the American Soybean Association, not one but two new C-level hires at Haldor Topsoe, a new appointment of a Covestro executive to the German National Hydrogen Council, and more.

If you have an “On the Move” for us to cover, please contact Helena Kennedy at [email protected].

National Biodiesel Board Welcomes East Coast Policy Director

The National Biodiesel Board has created a new Director of State Regulatory Affairs position and announced the appointment of Steve Dodge to fill it. Dodge is a longtime energy industry veteran who will focus primarily on advancing state and regional policy efforts for biodiesel, renewable diesel, and Bioheat home heating oil on the east coast.

With more than two decades of experience guiding and managing outreach, communication, and lobbying efforts for the American Petroleum Institute, most recently as Executive Director of the Massachusetts/New England Petroleum Council, Dodge is well positioned to take the lead on NBB efforts focused on this important market.

Censky leaves USDA post to return to ASA as CEO

After serving as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture since October 2017, the man who led the American Soybean Association for 21 years is returning to the helm of the grower group. Steve Censky has left the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assume the CEO role at ASA.

Censky came on board Nov. 9 and resumes his post following the June departure of Ryan Findlay, who is credited with helping the organization restructure internally and establish an independent government affairs office in Washington.

Haldor Topsoe has two new appointments – CFO and CHRO

Philip Eickhoff has been appointed CFO of Haldor Topsoe effective immediately, and was recently was CFO of Atos Medical and before that Regional CFO of Coloplast North America. Most recently he has served as Industrial Advisor to global private equity funds. He has a consulting background from Bain & Company.

 

Peter Kirkegaard has been appointed CHRO of Haldor Topsoe, effective January 1, 2021. Since 2016, Peter Kirkegaard has served as Executive Vice President, Chief People & Culture Officer, with Hempel A/S, which he joined in 2007 as Vice President. Before that, Peter Kirkegaard had a 15 year career with Accenture, where he was Partner leading the Human Performance and Finance & Performance Management service lines.

 

Klaus Schäfer appointed to the German National Hydrogen Council

The German Federal Government has appointed Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Covestro, to the National Hydrogen Council. He is representing the chemical industry in Germany as an expert. For the chemical industry and Covestro, hydrogen is an important building block on the road to climate neutrality and the development towards a circular economy.

In addition to his new position in the German National Hydrogen Council, Dr. Schäfer is chairman of the Energy, Climate Protection and Raw Materials Committee of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), Chairman of DECHEMA Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and member of the Board of the NRW VCI. At Covestro, as a member of the Board of Management he is responsible for the areas of production and technology and for all chemical production sites worldwide.

Brian O’Neill Named New Director for the Joint Global Change Research Institute

Brian O’Neill—an Earth systems scientist who studies the relationship between future societal development, emissions and climate change impacts—has been named the new director of the Joint Global Change Research Institute.

The institute is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. It brings together expertise in research, modeling and analysis to advance scientific understanding of the ways in which human, energy and environmental systems interact. Since its formation, JGCRI has provided input to the White House, Congress, United Nations and other national and international governing and advising bodies.

O’Neill will begin his appointment Oct. 5, 2020.

CELLINK welcomes new scientific advisor Professor Robert Langer from MIT and co-founder of Moderna

Professor Robert Langer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will be joining CELLINK’s Scientific Advisory Board starting in 2021. Professor Langer is a Lemelson-MIT prize winner, the world’s largest prize for invention, for being one of history’s most prolific inventors in medicine and is one of only 11 Institute Professors at MIT, the highest award that can be bestowed on a faculty member. Dr. Langer has received over 220 major awards.  He is one of 3 living individuals to have received both the United States National Medal of Science (2006) and the United States National Medal of Technology and Innovation (2011). He has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Langer received his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University in 1970 and his Sc.D. in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 1974.  He joined MIT as Assistant Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry in 1978. Dr. Langer has written over 1,500 articles and filed over 1,400 patent applications worldwide, of which more than 900 have been granted.  Dr. Langer’s patents have been licensed or sublicensed to over 400 pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology and medical device companies.

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