Protealis, a VIB spin-off company, appoints Frank van Lierde to its Board of Directors
Having extensive experience in the food and bio-industrial sectors, Frank van Lierde brings invaluable expertise to Protealis as the company expands its commercial footprint with innovative high yield, high protein soy varieties adopted to Northern Europe.
July 2, 2024
Ghent, 2 July 2024 – VIB, Flanders’ leading life sciences research institute announces today that one of its spin-off companies, Protealis, has appointed Frank van Lierde as an independent member to its board of directors, effective as of July 1st 2024.
“We are thrilled to welcome Frank van Lierde to our board of directors," says David Buckeridge, Chairman of the Board of Protealis. "His distinguished career includes over three decades at the American food group Cargill, where he was elected member of the Cargill Global Executive Team in 2015 and held several global leadership positions, including President of Food Ingredients and Bio-industrials. With rapidly growing food trends in Europe that emphasize plant-based protein sources like soy and yellow peas, his profound expertise and strategic vision will be instrumental in guiding Protealis toward these new growth opportunities."
Benjamin Laga, Chief Executive Officer of Protealis, echoed this sentiment: " Mr. van Lierde’s track record of success and commitment to sustainable practices, such as working to make cacao and palm oil supply chains more sustainable, aligns perfectly with our mission at Protealis. Combined with our previously appointed independent board members Hartmut van Lengerich and David Buckeridge, this gives the company a tremendous wealth of expertise to tap into."
Frank van Lierde currently also holds board positions at the Dutch producer of insect-based protein Protix and at Ackermans & Van Haaren, a large diversified investment group listed on Euronext Brussels with over €6.5 billion of revenues in 2023.
After the appointment of board member Hartmut van Lengerich earlier this year, Frank van Lierde’s appointment marks another significant milestone for Protealis as the company continues to strengthen its leadership team to accelerate the development and commercialization of sustainable seed solutions that empower European farmers.
About Protealis
Protealis develops superior plant protein seeds and seed technologies, optimized for the European soil and climate. Being at the forefront of sustainable agriculture, Protealis aims to empower European farmers with sustainable and resilient alternatives to traditional protein sources by developing legume seed solutions with enhanced crop yield and protein levels, while at the same time minimizing the ecological footprint. By addressing the growing demand for more plant-based protein sources, the company is committed to contribute to more sustainable food systems. Today, Protealis is a commercial-stage company with six early maturity soy varieties on the market and is headquartered in the biotechnology cluster in Ghent, Belgium. More info on www.protealis.com, LinkedIn or facebook.