Elicit Plant Appoints Pam Marrone and Johan de Saegher to Board of Directors
1 March 2023 Elicit Plant, an agricultural biotechnology company specialized in crops’ resistance to water stress based on a phytosterol-based technology platform, announced today it has appointed Dr. Pam Marrone as Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and Dr. Johan de Saegher as Independent Board Member.
Pam is a serial entrepreneur bringing over 30 years of leadership experience in the agricultural biologicals industry. Pam currently serves as Executive Chair of Invasive Species Control Corporation which she cofounded in 2022. Recently, she was Chief Executive Officer of Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI), an agricultural biological company she founded in 2006. In 2013, MBI listed its stock on NASDAQ. Under her leadership, the company commercialized 10 products from six EPA-registered active ingredients, and in 2019 acquired ProFarm Technologies selling bionutrient seed treatments from wood waste. Prior to establishing MBI, Marrone founded AgraQuest in 1995, where she served as CEO, Chairwoman or President until 2006.
Pam is a well-recognized leader as evidenced by numerous awards, including the American Chemical Society’s “Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success,” “Most Admired CEO, Distinguished Career Award” by the Sacramento Business Journal, the “Sustie” award by the Ecological Farming Association, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Growing Green Award in the “Business Leader” category. Pam is the founder of the Biological Products Industry Alliance, now a trade group of more than 100 companies. Aside from her role as Chairwoman of Elicit Plant, Pam serves on several for-profit and non-profit Boards, including 180 Life Sciences (NASDAQ: ATNF), StemExpress, Pheronym and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.
Johan de Saegher is an accomplished business executive with 30 years of business experience of which 17 years in the crop protection industry. He currently serves as CEO of Bi-PA, a company specialized in developing innovative solutions for pest management. From 2018 to 2022 he held the position of CEO and COO of Belchim Crop Protection NV, a leading European distributor in the crop protection market, based in Belgium, with also activities in North America and Asia. Previously, and until the company was acquired by Eastman Chemical in 2014, Johan worked at Taminco (NYSE) where he held positions as Chief Operating Officer, Vice-President Agrosciences and President Asia/Latin America. He is currently also Chairman of Aphea.bio and holds a board position within Mitsui Agrisciences International.
“I am impressed by the excellent achievements Elicit Plant has accomplished in such a short time. The company’s unique technology platform positively impacts the planet and provides farmers with a natural and efficient solution to address the challenges of climate change. I am looking forward to work alongside the team as it accelerates its growth,” said Marrone.
de Saegher added, “It is an honor to join Elicit Plant’s Board of Directors and contribute to building the company into a large scale and profitable enterprise as it is entering its next phase of development. Through its high value solutions, Elicit Plant offers for row crops a new dimension in abiotic stress management such as drought, safeguarding the yield of the farmer by optimizing the natural response of the plants to the changing environment.”
Jean-François Dechant, Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder of Elicit Plant, said: “Pam and Johan are a wonderful additions as Elicit Plant is entering new markets, expanding its laboratories and diversifying its portfolio of products. At such a strategic time for Elicit Plant, we are grateful for their confidence, and we are all eager to benefit from their knowledge and impressive track records.”
Get The Newsletter Today!
