On the Move – Total Corbion PLA’s new CEO and CFO, cannabinoid company gets new CEO, Eco Wave Power gets new CFO, BASF board and personnel changes, PNNL and more

It’s a new year with new moves and we have lots of that going on in the bioeconomy recently with Total Corbion PLA’s new CEO Thomas Philipon and new CFO Chiel Rietvelt, Rebecca Bagley as new CEO of Cannex Scientific which works on cannabinoid-based therapeutics, wave energy developer Eco Wave Power’s new CFO, Aharon Yehuda, four board and personnel changes at BASF, and more.

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

Total Corbion PLA appoints Thomas Philipon, new CEO and Chiel Rietvelt, new CFO

Total Corbion PLA announced its new executive leadership team: Thomas Philipon, CEO and Chiel Rietvelt, CFO. The appointments mark a significant next step in the company’s growth and, together with the earlier announcement of the planned PLA production plant in Europe, demonstrate the company’s commitment to driving the growth of the bioplastics industry.

Thomas Philipon began as CEO of Total Corbion PLA on October 1st 2020. Thomas brings with him extensive experience in the plastics industry, having worked at DuPont for over 15 years. He is looking forward to leading Total Corbion PLA through the next stage of growth: “Announcing a second plant within two years after starting up the first one is a clear sign of Total Corbion PLA’s ambition and commitment to continue supporting the growth of the bioplastics market. I’m very much looking forward to contributing towards the next chapter in our company’s story.”

Chiel Rietvelt became CFO of Total Corbion PLA in April 2020. Chiel has decades of experience in a range of industries and is enthusiastic about this latest challenge: “The bioplastics industry as a whole is growing at an incredible rate, and to support the company in extending its geographically diversified production capacity is an exciting journey.”

Cannex Scientific appoints Rebecca O. Bagley as CEO

Cannex Scientific, a biopharmaceutical company focused on unleashing the power of the endocannabinoid system to address large global unmet health challenges through the development of cannabinoid-based therapeutics, announced the appointment of Rebecca O. Bagley as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Rebecca will lead the development of new cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical solutions through the Company’s current research partners and work with the Company’s contract research organizations to develop, market and license Cannex Scientific branded treatments globally.

PNNL Scientists elected AAAS Fellows

In Washington, two Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers, one a world-leading authority on microorganisms and their impact on soil and human health, and the other an expert on coastal ecosystem restoration, have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

PNNL’s Janet Jansson and Ron Thom were elected by their AAAS peers for their efforts to advance science or its applications. AAAS is the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society with a mission to “advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people.” A designation of fellow is the society’s highest honor.

PNNL now has 33 active staff members who hold the rank of AAAS fellow.

Wave Energy Developer, Eco Wave Power, Appoints New CFO

In Sweden, Eco Wave Power appointed Aharon Yehuda as Chief Financial Officer for the Eco Wave Power Group. Mr. Yehuda will begin his employment immediately and will be based in Eco Wave Power’s global headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Mr. Yehuda joins Eco Wave Power with broad experience in corporate and operational finance,  most recently as the CFO of Turbochrome, a subsidiary of the publicly traded TAT-Technologies Group (Nasdaq: TATT), adding jet engine component MRO capabilities to TAT’s suite of services for commercial and military aviation.“Aharon brings Eco Wave Power more than 20 years of leadership roles with a proven track record in complex financial organizations, where he was responsible for leading teams and supporting global operations within a dynamic market environment,” said Inna Braverman , Eco Wave Power’s Founder and and CEO.

Changes in the Board of Executive Directors and Personnel changes at BASF

Anup Kothari (52), President, Performance Chemicals, Ludwigshafen, will assume responsibility for the Division Nutrition & Health, Lampertheim, effective February 1, 2021.

Thomas Kloster (49), Senior Vice President, Automotive OEM Coatings Solutions EMEA, BASF Coatings GmbH, Münster, will, as President, assume responsibility for Performance Chemicals at the same time.

The Supervisory Board of BASF SE appointed Dr. Melanie Maas-Brunner (52) as a member of the Board of Executive Directors effective February 1, 2021. Maas-Brunner has been with BASF since 1997 and has headed BASF’s Nutrition & Health division since 2017. In her new role as of February 1, 2021, she will also take over the position as Chief Technology Officer from Dr. Martin Brudermüller, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF. She will assume responsibility for the three research divisions Advanced Materials & Systems Research, Bioscience Research, Process Research & Chemical Engineering as well as BASF New Business at that time.

Effective November 1, 2020, Jose Carlos Corral Montilla succeeded Dr Marko Grozdanovic as Managing Director and Vice President of BTC Europe GmbH, BASF’s European sales organization for small and medium-sized customers focused on specialty chemicals. Jose Carlos Corral Montilla joined BASF in 1998. In his latest position, before assuming responsibility as Managing Director at BTC Europe, he worked as Director Global Product Management Plastic Additives, BASF East Asia, in Hong Kong.

Jeff Ames Appointed President & CEO of Tekscan, Inc.

Tekscan, Inc. announced that its board of directors has appointed Jeff Ames as President & CEO, effective immediately. Jeff will lead all strategic and operational initiatives to position Tekscan for successful growth and value creation. Tekscan was acquired by Artemis Capital Partners (Artemis) earlier this year.

Jeff brings over 25 years of experience in engineered product businesses, with past roles spanning commercial, technical, and operational responsibilities. Before joining Tekscan, Jeff led the Industrial Automation business unit of Kaman Distribution Group, a leading integrator and distributor of automation and motion control solutions.  Jeff previously held roles of increasing responsibility at Eaton Corporation, including leading Eaton’s Notification and Wright Line businesses and directing Eaton’s uninterruptible power supply offerings. Jeff earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University and an MBA from Marist College.

Nanollose appoints Leading Fashion Consultant Carla Woidt

Nanollose, a leading bio-materials company commercialising scalable technology to create fibres and fabrics with minimal environmental impact, has appointed Carla Woidt as a Fashion Consultant, to assist in further building on the Company’s established relationships in the Australian and global fashion and textiles industries. The Company also aims to leverage her in-depth knowledge of internal operations in the fashion industry, which will assist Nanollose with its commercialisation and implementation strategy.

AMOEBA appoints Pierre Morgon as Censeur on the Board of Directors

AMOEBA’s Board of Directors appointed Pierre Morgon as non-voting Director with a view to proposing his candidacy as Director at the next General Meeting of Shareholders to be held in 2021. As a non-voting director, he will attend the next meetings of the Board of Directors in an advisory capacity, bringing his extensive experience and expertise to the Company.

Pierre Morgon has over 30 years of experience in the global Life Sciences industry, especially specialty care, vaccines and immunotherapy, in management positions in multinational companies and as CEO of start-up companies. Currently, Pierre MORGON is CEO of MRGN Advisors, Regional Partner for Switzerland at Mérieux Equity Partners and Senior Vice-President International Business at CanSino Biologics.