Board Committees

Matthias Krön has agreed to serve as an Independent Director and member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Krön is a key driver in the development of European protein markets, a visionary serial entrepreneur and founder of a European Soya Association, the “Donau Soja Association,” a key organization in European non-GMO soy production. Presently, Mr. Krön is the Chief Executive Officer at Plant Republic GmbH, a European leader in tofu and plant meat production, based in Vienna, Austria. Since 2012, Mr. Krön has served as President of Donau Soja Association, a driving force in the European protein markets. He is responsible for successfully lobbying the European Union with the Europe Soya Declaration in 2017 (signed by 14 EU agricultural ministers) resulting in the development of the ‘EU Protein Plan’. He was also responsible for developing the Danube and Europe soya standards, the gold standards with the best benchmarking in the world of soy. From 1995 to 2011, Mr. Krön was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mona Group, the second largest European non-dairy producer, Mr. Krön has carved a new and innovative business out of an old dairy industry. He has developed a European multi-site production strategy and early on understood that diversity of raw materials and natural, clean label products, were the future. Currently, Mr. Krön is driving forward the development of ‘Fields of Europe’, the first comprehensive European food and feed system. In this project Mr. Krön partnered up with the Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, (NYSE:ADM), Agrifirm, Fenaco, Ameropa and many others. Mr. Krön has extensive experience as a Board Member and Co-Founder of successful businesses in soya, wine, hemp, testing and real estate. He is fluent in Chinese, English and German and has a large personal network in Europe, China and the US.

Kristopher Lance Anderson has agreed to serve as a member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Anderson brings over 20 years of experience in intellectual property development, management and transactions, including corporate and asset-based acquisitions. Since 2016, Mr. Anderson has served as a member of the law firm of Dickinson Wright PLLC (“DW”), in its Austin, Texas office. DW is a fully integrated law firm of approximately 500 attorneys in 19 offices in the United States and Canada. Since 2018, Mr. Anderson has further served as a Deputy CEO of DW, overseeing the firm’s marketing and information technology operations. Mr. Anderson specializes in complex intellectual property and technology transactions and advising businesses in acquisition and disposition of innovation-rich assets. Mr. Anderson has previously served in-house for both a public academic research institution and a private venture capital operating company, in both instances leading the development, negotiation and disposition of all forms of intellectual property. Mr. Anderson practices directly within the agricultural and biotechnology arenas, as well as with food, medical device, pharmaceutical, immuno-oncology, and drug delivery ventures, together with their various regulatory frameworks. In addition to such experience, Mr. Anderson’s background originated in commercial agriculture, working in rural west Texas with corporate family farming operations and contract R&D efforts for new germplasm and agricultural compounds. A significant portion of Mr. Anderson’s current practice includes plant traits and plant-derived products and related formulations ranging from cannabis/hemp to fresh produce and food products. Mr. Anderson has been qualified as a member of the Bar of the State of Texas since 2000, and the United States Patent Office since 2005. Prior to his current firm, Mr. Anderson was Of Counsel at Greenberg Traurig’s Austin, Texas Office. Mr. Anderson is a graduate of Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University School of Law, and received Distinguished Alumnus recognition in 2019 by the Texas Tech University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Mr. Anderson obtained his undergraduate degree in Entomology with a minor in Horticulture, and further obtained his Masters’ degree in Crop Science, participating in both traditional breeding and genetic research projects.

Matthijs P. Mondria has agreed to serve as a member of our Board of Directors. During the course of his 30 year long career, he has developed professional experience in global food and agribusiness strategy, sustainability, mergers and acquisitions and in corporate and acquisition debt finance. Mr. Mondria currently serves as an advisory board member of APH Group, an agriculture equipment distribution company with strong market positions in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He is also the principal adviser to True-code.org, a not-for-profit venture initiative sponsored by the Consumer Goods Forum (the pre-eminent industry platform of consumer goods retailers and branded goods producers) aiming to create radical food supply chain transparency for food retailers and consumer food producers. Between September 2002 and May 2021, Mr. Mondria served in various roles with Rabobank, the world’s leading food and agribusiness bank. From April 2018 to May 2021, Mr. Mondria, as Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Business Development, was responsible for integrating sustainability in the client business operations of Rabobank’s global wholesale banking network. From January 2010 to April 2018, Mr. Mondria was a Managing Director and Global Sector Head, leading Rabobank’s business with all corporate clients operating in the upper end of the food value chain (equipment, genetics, animal and crop nutrition, crop protection, pharma, biotechnology, AgTech). As Executive Vice President and Head of Food & Agribusiness, Mr. Mondria was responsible for Rabobank’s portfolio of Food and Agribusiness clients based in the Netherlands between June 2007 and January 2015. From 2010 through 2014 he combined his responsibilities as Global Sector Head and Head of Food & Agribusiness at Rabobank. From April 2003 to June 2007, Mr. Mondria, as Executive Director and Head of Acquisition Finance, lead a team responsible for the origination, structuring and execution of debt finance in relation to corporate and private equity backed acquisitions. During his tenure at Rabobank, Mr. Mondria served for many years in the group credit committee. Mr. Mondria received his M.B.A. and his B.B.A. from Nyenrode University in the Netherlands.

Prof. Dr. h.c. Martin Richenhagen has agreed to serve as Chairman of our Board of Directors. For 16 years, since 2004 he has served as the President & Chief Executive Officer, and since 2006 also as Chairman of the Board of Directors of AGCO. AGCO is a global, manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment and sells its products under the well-known brands Challenger®, Fendt®, Massey Ferguson®,Valtra® and GSI®. Prof. Dr. h.c. Martin Richenhagen is a designated member of the supervisory board of Daimler Truck Holding AG (“Daimler Truck”), the spin-off of Daimler AG’s trucks division is a listed company at ‘Prime Standard’ of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The Prime Standard sets the highest transparency requirements across all segments in the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. As an independent company, Daimler Truck is the world’s market leader employing approximately 100,000 people in more than 35 main sites. Prof. Dr. h.c. Martin Richenhagen is a designated member of the supervisory board of Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG (“STIHL”). The family-owned company develops, manufactures, and sells power tools for forestry, gardening, landscaping and construction. He currently is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) in Washington, DC. He also is the Economic Ambassador in Cologne, Germany and a member of the North American Advisory Board of Directors (NAAAB) at Rabobank International. Dr. Richenhagen is also member of the board of directors for Linde PLC (NYSE: LIN) (“Linde”), a multinational chemical company with German-American roots. It is the largest industrial gas company by market share and revenue, serving customers in the healthcare, petroleum refining, manufacturing, food, beverage carbonation, fibre-optics, steel making, aerospace, chemicals, electronics and water treatment industries. From 2015 to 2018, Prof. Dr. Richenhagen also served as a director of Praxair, Inc. (NYSE:PX), from 2015 until the business combination of Praxair, Inc. and Linde in 2018.

Prof. Dr. Richenhagen is also a member of the board of directors of PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG), a leading American coatings and specialty products and services company. He was the Chairman of the German American Chambers of Commerce of the United States and member of the board of directors for Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the board of directors of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern US, Inc. He was Member of the U.S. “President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa.” Prof. Dr. Richenhagen has served as Chairman of the board of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (“AEM”) and is a ‘Lifetime Honorary Director’ at AEM. From 2003 until 2004, Prof. Dr. Richenhagen was Executive Vice President of Forbo International SA (XSWX: FORN), a flooring material company headquartered in Switzerland. He also served as Managing Director for CLAAS KGaA mbH, a global agricultural equipment manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Germany, from 1998 until 2003. Prof. Dr. Richenhagen was the Senior Executive Vice President for Schindler Deutschland Holdings GmbH, Germany, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of elevators and escalators, from 1995 until 1998. Prof. Dr. Richenhagen received the highest distinction conferred by the government of France and was named a Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour) in 2018. He has received the Global Leadership Award from the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies and the Federal Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2017.

Kristopher Lance Anderson has agreed to serve as a member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Anderson brings over 20 years of experience in intellectual property development, management and transactions, including corporate and asset-based acquisitions. Since 2016, Mr. Anderson has served as a member of the law firm of Dickinson Wright PLLC (“DW”), in its Austin, Texas office. DW is a fully integrated law firm of approximately 500 attorneys in 19 offices in the United States and Canada. Since 2018, Mr. Anderson has further served as a Deputy CEO of DW, overseeing the firm’s marketing and information technology operations. Mr. Anderson specializes in complex intellectual property and technology transactions and advising businesses in acquisition and disposition of innovation-rich assets. Mr. Anderson has previously served in-house for both a public academic research institution and a private venture capital operating company, in both instances leading the development, negotiation and disposition of all forms of intellectual property. Mr. Anderson practices directly within the agricultural and biotechnology arenas, as well as with food, medical device, pharmaceutical, immuno-oncology, and drug delivery ventures, together with their various regulatory frameworks. In addition to such experience, Mr. Anderson’s background originated in commercial agriculture, working in rural west Texas with corporate family farming operations and contract R&D efforts for new germplasm and agricultural compounds. A significant portion of Mr. Anderson’s current practice includes plant traits and plant-derived products and related formulations ranging from cannabis/hemp to fresh produce and food products. Mr. Anderson has been qualified as a member of the Bar of the State of Texas since 2000, and the United States Patent Office since 2005. Prior to his current firm, Mr. Anderson was Of Counsel at Greenberg Traurig’s Austin, Texas Office. Mr. Anderson is a graduate of Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University School of Law, and received Distinguished Alumnus recognition in 2019 by the Texas Tech University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Mr. Anderson obtained his undergraduate degree in Entomology with a minor in Horticulture, and further obtained his Masters’ degree in Crop Science, participating in both traditional breeding and genetic research projects.

Dr. Thomas Berger has agreed to serve as a member of our Board of Directors. Dr. Berger combines extensive industry experience in the field of renewable energies with wide-ranging legal expertise in various areas of law. Since January 2017 he has been responsible for the corporate restructuring, advising on investment in financial instruments and corporate strategy, as an independent legal and financial consultant. He is also a shareholder of NordStrom AG (Berlin and Luxembourg). Between April 2009 to August 2016, Dr. Berger was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KTG Energie AG (“KTGE”), Europe’s largest listed biogas producer at the time. Under his leadership, KTGE more than tripled its revenue. Under Dr. Berger’s leadership, the company generated significant EBITDA and went public in June 2012 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. During this time, he developed international expertise in the legal field of renewable energies and was a speaker at numerous conferences. Dr. Berger worked for Freshfields and Noerr, international law firms, for two years before becoming the Managing Director at an airline, Comfort Air GmbH & Co. KG, München Airport, which he successfully managed until the owner sold it to an investor in 2008. Following a period with the Deutscher Bundestag (the German parliament) in 2002 as the Speaker in the Economic Committee, he was admitted to the bar in Munich in 2003. Dr. Berger has a Ph.D in law from Ludwig Maximilians Universität in Munich, he studied law in Munich and Geneva, he received a scholarship from the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the Max Planck Society.

Prof. Dr. h.c. Martin Richenhagen has agreed to serve as Chairman of our Board of Directors. For 16 years, since 2004 he has served as the President & Chief Executive Officer, and since 2006 also as Chairman of the Board of Directors of AGCO. AGCO is a global, manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment and sells its products under the well-known brands Challenger®, Fendt®, Massey Ferguson®,Valtra® and GSI®. Prof. Dr. h.c. Martin Richenhagen is a designated member of the supervisory board of Daimler Truck Holding AG (“Daimler Truck”), the spin-off of Daimler AG’s trucks division is a listed company at ‘Prime Standard’ of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The Prime Standard sets the highest transparency requirements across all segments in the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. As an independent company, Daimler Truck is the world’s market leader employing approximately 100,000 people in more than 35 main sites. Prof. Dr. h.c. Martin Richenhagen is a designated member of the supervisory board of Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG (“STIHL”). The family-owned company develops, manufactures, and sells power tools for forestry, gardening, landscaping and construction. He currently is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) in Washington, DC. He also is the Economic Ambassador in Cologne, Germany and a member of the North American Advisory Board of Directors (NAAAB) at Rabobank International. Dr. Richenhagen is also member of the board of directors for Linde PLC (NYSE: LIN) (“Linde”), a multinational chemical company with German-American roots. It is the largest industrial gas company by market share and revenue, serving customers in the healthcare, petroleum refining, manufacturing, food, beverage carbonation, fibre-optics, steel making, aerospace, chemicals, electronics and water treatment industries. From 2015 to 2018, Prof. Dr. Richenhagen also served as a director of Praxair, Inc. (NYSE:PX), from 2015 until the business combination of Praxair, Inc. and Linde in 2018.

Prof. Dr. Richenhagen is also a member of the board of directors of PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG), a leading American coatings and specialty products and services company. He was the Chairman of the German American Chambers of Commerce of the United States and member of the board of directors for Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the board of directors of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern US, Inc. He was Member of the U.S. “President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa.” Prof. Dr. Richenhagen has served as Chairman of the board of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (“AEM”) and is a ‘Lifetime Honorary Director’ at AEM. From 2003 until 2004, Prof. Dr. Richenhagen was Executive Vice President of Forbo International SA (XSWX: FORN), a flooring material company headquartered in Switzerland. He also served as Managing Director for CLAAS KGaA mbH, a global agricultural equipment manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Germany, from 1998 until 2003. Prof. Dr. Richenhagen was the Senior Executive Vice President for Schindler Deutschland Holdings GmbH, Germany, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of elevators and escalators, from 1995 until 1998. Prof. Dr. Richenhagen received the highest distinction conferred by the government of France and was named a Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour) in 2018. He has received the Global Leadership Award from the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies and the Federal Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2017.

Dr. Thomas Berger has agreed to serve as a member of our Board of Directors. Dr. Berger combines extensive industry experience in the field of renewable energies with wide-ranging legal expertise in various areas of law. Since January 2017 he has been responsible for the corporate restructuring, advising on investment in financial instruments and corporate strategy, as an independent legal and financial consultant. He is also a shareholder of NordStrom AG (Berlin and Luxembourg). Between April 2009 to August 2016, Dr. Berger was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KTG Energie AG (“KTGE”), Europe’s largest listed biogas producer at the time. Under his leadership, KTGE more than tripled its revenue. Under Dr. Berger’s leadership, the company generated significant EBITDA and went public in June 2012 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. During this time, he developed international expertise in the legal field of renewable energies and was a speaker at numerous conferences. Dr. Berger worked for Freshfields and Noerr, international law firms, for two years before becoming the Managing Director at an airline, Comfort Air GmbH & Co. KG, München Airport, which he successfully managed until the owner sold it to an investor in 2008. Following a period with the Deutscher Bundestag (the German parliament) in 2002 as the Speaker in the Economic Committee, he was admitted to the bar in Munich in 2003. Dr. Berger has a Ph.D in law from Ludwig Maximilians Universität in Munich, he studied law in Munich and Geneva, he received a scholarship from the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the Max Planck Society.

Matthias Krön has agreed to serve as an Independent Director and member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Krön is a key driver in the development of European protein markets, a visionary serial entrepreneur and founder of a European Soya Association, the “Donau Soja Association,” a key organization in European non-GMO soy production. Presently, Mr. Krön is the Chief Executive Officer at Plant Republic GmbH, a European leader in tofu and plant meat production, based in Vienna, Austria. Since 2012, Mr. Krön has served as President of Donau Soja Association, a driving force in the European protein markets. He is responsible for successfully lobbying the European Union with the Europe Soya Declaration in 2017 (signed by 14 EU agricultural ministers) resulting in the development of the ‘EU Protein Plan’. He was also responsible for developing the Danube and Europe soya standards, the gold standards with the best benchmarking in the world of soy. From 1995 to 2011, Mr. Krön was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mona Group, the second largest European non-dairy producer, Mr. Krön has carved a new and innovative business out of an old dairy industry. He has developed a European multi-site production strategy and early on understood that diversity of raw materials and natural, clean label products, were the future. Currently, Mr. Krön is driving forward the development of ‘Fields of Europe’, the first comprehensive European food and feed system. In this project Mr. Krön partnered up with the Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, (NYSE:ADM), Agrifirm, Fenaco, Ameropa and many others. Mr. Krön has extensive experience as a Board Member and Co-Founder of successful businesses in soya, wine, hemp, testing and real estate. He is fluent in Chinese, English and German and has a large personal network in Europe, China and the US.