Thousand Oaks, California
October 2, 2008
Ceres, Inc. has named Paul M. Kuc to be the energy crop
company’s Chief Financial Officer, ahead of the launch of its
seed business. An experienced financial leader in international
seed and biotechnology businesses, Kuc will oversee Ceres’
capital management and financial systems, among other
responsibilities. Ceres, which is developing new crops for
next-generation biofuels and biopower, plans to commercialize
its first seed products under the trade name Blade Energy Crops
later this year.
Ceres President and CEO Richard Hamilton says that Kuc’s
operational experience will facilitate the build-out of the seed
and trait company’s strategic financial systems. “Paul’s
hands-on experience with seed operations, treasury and business
analysis will be a great asset as the energy crop market and our
business grows,” said Hamilton. “Paul joins us at an exciting
time in the market. The first biorefineries using biomass are
breaking ground, there’s broad interest in expanding the use of
biomass as a renewable source for electricity production, and
there’s a handful of new technologies bringing bioenergy
production costs down at a time when traditional sources are
headed in the opposite direction.”
Kuc says that he is excited about the opportunities this new
market presents for agricultural businesses and believes Ceres
is well-positioned to supply the biofuel and biopower markets
with improved seeds. “Ceres is a growth-oriented company that’s
well capitalized, with a validated IP portfolio, and a track
record of success. I’m looking forward to helping bring this
industry to scale,” he said.
Prior to joining Ceres, Kuc held domestic and global finance
positions at Monsanto Company of Saint Louis, Mo., including
posts in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United
States. He began his career at pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.
Kuc holds a Master’s of Science degree in Economics from the
University of Lodz, Poland and an MBA from the Ivey Business
School, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
Ceres, Inc. is a leading developer of high-yielding energy
crops that can be planted as feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol
production and biopower. Its development efforts cover
switchgrass, sorghum, miscanthus, energycane and short-rotation
woody crops. The plant breeding and biotechnology company
markets its seed products under its Blade Energy Crops brand.
Ceres holds one of the world’s largest proprietary collections
of fully sequenced plant genes. The privately held firm also
licenses its technology and traits to other organizations. |
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