- Board Of Directors
- Genus Executive Leadership Team
Board appointment July 2020
Committee Chairmanship: Nomination
Committee Membership: Remuneration
Skills and Experience
Extensive Board, governance and leadership experience. Strong commercial, science and agribusiness expertise across a range of industries, with a particular focus on consumer goods and food. Deep appreciation of capital markets and investor sentiment.
Current appointments
Chairman of Crest Nicholson Holdings plc; Chairman of Personal Assets Trust plc; Pro-Chancellor of Cranfield University.
Past appointments
Senior Independent Director of Sygen International plc; Chairman of Berendsen plc; Chairman of Stobart Group Ltd; Senior Independent Director of Balfour Beatty plc; Non-Executive Director of Greggs plc; Lead Independent Director at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Chief Executive of Tate & Lyle plc; General Manager of Unilever AgriBusiness; Chair, Unilever Plantations and Plant Sciences Group; and Senior Vice President, Corporate Development at Unilever.
Board appointment: May 2023
Skills and Experience:
Jorgen has deep experience in the international food and agriculture sectors having spent the last 14 years in global business leadership roles of increasing responsibility at Ingredion Incorporated, a leading food and beverage ingredient solutions company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Career:
Jorgen joined Ingredion Inc. in 2009 as a vice president and general manager of EMEA. During his time there, Jorgen also held the titles of executive vice president, global specialties and president, North America, and served as senior vice president and president, Asia-Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Most recently, Jorgen was Executive Vice President & President Americas with responsibility for all operational and strategic management decisions across its $6 billion North and South American businesses, driving growth by leveraging research and development led innovation and commercial and operational excellence.
Prior to joining Ingredion, Jorgen was vice president Food & Nutrition at Corbion, a producer of sustainable ingredient solutions and served as a director of strategy and business development. He also held leadership positions in sales, business development, marketing, and general management at Loders Croklaan.
Jorgen holds a master's degree in economics from the University of Amsterdam.
Board Appointment: January 2020
Skills and Experience:
Alison has over 25 years of international experience in finance, mergers and acquisitions, business transformation and investor relations, operating across Europe, Australia, Asia, the US and South Africa. She has a proven track record of driving performance in public and privately held organisations, both business to business and business to consumer facing.
Career:
Alison was Chief Financial Officer of V. Group, a global leader in ship management and based in the UK, until 31 October 2019. Other past appointments include Finance Director, UK & Ireland and Finance Director, Australia at Compass Group plc, and Chief Financial Officer of Specialty Fashion Group Ltd, a former ASX listed company. She started her career at Ernst and Young in her native Australia and, after qualifying as a chartered accountant, spent nine years in their London practice, the majority of which was in Corporate Finance, supporting clients with M&A transactions.
Board appointment: April 2016
Committee Chairmanship: Audit & Risk
Committee Membership: Remuneration, Nomination
Skills and Experience
Lysanne has significant experience of risk management, audit, business operations, acquisitions and disposals, and corporate governance, gained within the food sector. She is a Chartered Accountant.
Lysanne is the Board's Sustainability Sponsor.
Career
Lysanne is Executive Vice President Sustainable Business Performance and Reporting at Unilever plc, before which she was Financial Controller at Unilever plc and Unilever NV. Prior to this she was Chief Auditor, working closely with Unilever’s Audit Committee, and before that Chief Financial Officer of Unilever’s global food service business. She has also held a number of other senior operational and financial positions within Unilever.
Board appointment: June 2018
Committee Chairmanship: Remuneration
Committee Membership: Nomination, Audit & Risk
Skills and Experience
Lesley has broad international, strategic and financial services experience, both through her executive career and as a non-executive director of major organisations. Companies she has advised during her career include manufacturers and distributors of food products, including poultry and poultry breeding companies.
Lesley is one of our designated Workforce Engagement Directors.
Career
Lesley was a founder director of British Linen Advisors from 1999 to 2002, Governor of British Linen Bank Group (1997 to 1999) and held various senior roles at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, where she was ultimately a Group Director. Earlier in her career, she qualified as a solicitor with Slaughter & May and also worked for Shearman & Sterling. Lesley has held numerous non-executive roles and is currently a Non-Executive Director of 3i Group and Legal & General, where she also chairs the Remuneration Committee
Board appointment: April 2021
Committee Membership: Remuneration, Nomination, Audit & Risk
Skills and Experience
Jason has extensive experience in academic and commercial research institutions, giving him deep scientific expertise. His research spans Chemistry, Chemical Biology and Synthetic Biology, and he holds Associate Faculty status at the Wellcome Sanger Institute where he researches synthetic genomics.
Career
Jason is the Head of the Centre for Chemical and Synthetic Biology at the Medical Research Council Laboratory for Molecular Biology in Cambridge, where he works across disciplines to develop and apply methods for reprogramming the genetic code of living organisms. He is a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and is a Fellow of the Royal Society. Jason has sat on the scientific advisory boards of a number of companies, including Synaffix BV, where he retains an advisory role. Jason is the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Constructive Biology. Jason is currently a Non-Executive Director for the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology.
Board Appointment: January 2024
Committee Membership: Remuneration, Audit & Risk, Nomination
Skills and experience:
Ralph has extensive experience in animal healthcare businesses globally, and brings widespread global experience in operations, commercial excellence, integration and the animal health industry generally
Career:
Ralph worked at Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, where he launched a PRRS vaccine in Germany, Novartis's Consumer and Animal Health divisions and more recently in global leadership roles at Elanco Animal Health, including as Vice President for Asia Pacific, Europe and International Commercial Operations. Ralph has a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Bonn, Germany and is currently a Senior Advisor with Stonehaven Consulting (SC Group) AG.
Board appointment: June 2014
Skills and Experience
Dan has significant experience in multijurisdictional patent litigation, mergers and acquisitions, patent licensing and managing product life cycles in complex areas. He holds degrees in science and law.
Career
Dan joined Genus from Shire plc, where he was Senior Vice President and International Counsel. Dan joined Shire in 2002, after a number of years in private practice, and worked in increasingly senior and global roles in the UK and the US.
Board appointment: May 2023
Skills and Experience:
Jorgen has deep experience in the international food and agriculture sectors having spent the last 14 years in global business leadership roles of increasing responsibility at Ingredion Incorporated, a leading food and beverage ingredient solutions company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Career:
Jorgen joined Ingredion Inc. in 2009 as a vice president and general manager of EMEA. During his time there, Jorgen also held the titles of executive vice president, global specialties and president, North America, and served as senior vice president and president, Asia-Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Most recently, Jorgen was Executive Vice President & President Americas with responsibility for all operational and strategic management decisions across its $6 billion North and South American businesses, driving growth by leveraging research and development led innovation and commercial and operational excellence.
Prior to joining Ingredion, Jorgen was vice president Food & Nutrition at Corbion, a producer of sustainable ingredient solutions and served as a director of strategy and business development. He also held leadership positions in sales, business development, marketing, and general management at Loders Croklaan.
Jorgen holds a master's degree in economics from the University of Amsterdam.
Board Appointment: January 2020
Skills and Experience:
Alison has over 25 years of international experience in finance, mergers and acquisitions, business transformation and investor relations, operating across Europe, Australia, Asia, the US and South Africa. She has a proven track record of driving performance in public and privately held organisations, both business to business and business to consumer facing.
Career:
Alison was Chief Financial Officer of V. Group, a global leader in ship management and based in the UK, until 31 October 2019. Other past appointments include Finance Director, UK & Ireland and Finance Director, Australia at Compass Group plc, and Chief Financial Officer of Specialty Fashion Group Ltd, a former ASX listed company. She started her career at Ernst and Young in her native Australia and, after qualifying as a chartered accountant, spent nine years in their London practice, the majority of which was in Corporate Finance, supporting clients with M&A transactions.
GELT appointment: June 2014
Skills and Experience
Dan has significant experience in multijurisdictional patent litigation, mergers and acquisitions, patent licensing and managing product life cycles in complex areas. He holds degrees in science and law.
Career
Dan joined Genus from Shire plc, where he was Senior Vice President and International Counsel. Dan joined Shire in 2002, after a number of years in private practice, and worked in increasingly senior and global roles in the UK and the US.
GELT appointment: July 2012
Skills and Experience
Jerry is a natural entrepreneur and has brought his deep industry knowledge, commercial skills and international experience to develop the business in countries as diverse as the UK, Russia and China. He has helped Genus establish and grow its business in new markets.
Career
Jerry has worked for PIC and subsequently Genus for more than 20 years. He joined as a graduate in the UK, subsequently working in Siberia and Romania before leading PIC in Central and Eastern Europe. He then led PIC Europe before becoming Regional Director for PIC and ABS in Russia & Asia Pacific and subsequently COO for Genus Asia. He was appointed to his current role in July 2016.
GELT appointment: July 2017
Skills and Experience
Angelle combines commercial acumen with her broad expertise in resourcing, talent and succession, leadership development, and health and safety. Her strategic planning skills and pragmatism help to align the Group’s people agenda with its business needs. Angelle holds a Masters in Human Resource Development from Vanderbilt University.
Career
Angelle joined Genus PIC in September 2013 as HR Director, following more than 20 years in the healthcare sector. She developed and delivered PIC’s people strategy, before being appointed HR Director for Genus ABS. Angelle was appointed Group HR Director and a member of GELT on 1 July 2017.
GELT Appointment 15 July 2019
Skills and Experience:
Elena has built deep expertise in running R&D programs, regulatory science, and portfolio management. At Bayer she was responsible for a pipeline spanning seeds, traits and biological products (among others) across all phases of development and all geographies. She has led the development and introduction of new genetic improvement technologies and also nurtured a portfolio of gene editing projects. She is a strategic thinker and inspiring leader who works closely and collaboratively with commercial teams. Elena received her BSc and MSc in Biology from Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, and her PhD in Plant physiology and biochemistry from the Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology in Moscow.
Career:
Elena joined Genus as Chief Scientific Officer and was appointed to GELT on 15 July 2019, following 18 years in increasingly senior roles within Bayer, leading teams using pioneering science and cutting-edge technology to help farmers grow food more sustainably.
GELT appointment January 2023
Skills and Experience:
Matt has spent his entire career in the porcine industry, having originally grown up on a pig farm. He has led the development and implementation of the genetic strategy and technical services capability that has firmly established PIC as the global industry leader, as well as leading the commercial engagement with many of PIC’s most significant customers globally. He holds a doctorate degree in Animal Breeding and Genetics from the University of Georgia.
Career:
Matt joined Genus in 2011 as PIC’s Director of Genetic Services and Sales and took on the role of Global Product Development and Technical Services Director in 2012 before becoming Chief Operating Officer in July 2023. Previously, Matt spent nine years working for the producer Murphy-Brown (now Smithfield Foods), where he managed the internal genetics program and technical operations for their Eastern operations.
GELT appointment April 2024
Skills and Experience:
Jim is a very experienced and highly effective leader of complex global organisations, who has spent more than 25 years in the nutrition and food industry including as Chief Commercial Officer for Glanbia’s $1 billion global nutritional solutions business, where he had responsibility for the organisation’s key commercial functions and delivered double-digit profit growth in recent years. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Managerial Studies from Rice University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.
Career:
Prior to Glanbia, Jim spent over 20 years with Ingredion Incorporated in increasingly senior leadership roles. These included positions as General Manager for the Systems and Ingredients Solutions business and General Manager for Greater China and Japan, based in Shanghai.