HAYWARD, Calif., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. announced today that Neal Gutterson has been appointed president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the company. Gutterson, a 24-year veteran of the plant biotechnology industry, served as the company’s president and chief operating officer since December 2005. He succeeds Chris Somerville who resigned to focus on academic interests.
In making the announcement, Mendel Chairman Chris Somerville said, “Neal has demonstrated his abilities to lead the company by his successes in a series of senior executive roles at the company during the past five years. Neal’s strong operational background, coupled with his knowledge of the business and his clear vision of the opportunities and challenges in agriculture and bioenergy, made him the board’s choice to lead Mendel going forward.”
“We have reached an important transition point in Mendel’s business,” Gutterson said. “Agricultural biotechnology and genomics have great value, and Mendel remains a leader in the development and application of these technologies for the row crop seed industry. During the past ten years, however, the company has matured to the point that we are now ready to diversify our application of these technologies to maximize long-term enterprise value while enhancing short-term revenue growth.”
Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. is a functional genomics company that creates value through the discovery, development, and commercialization of knowledge about plant gene expression. Mendel is developing new products for large acreage agricultural crops and bioenergy crops in collaboration with industry leaders.
Backgrounder
Neal Gutterson -- President and Chief Executive Officer -- Mendel Biotechnology, Inc.
Neal Gutterson was born August 24, 1955, in New York. He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in chemistry at Yale University followed by a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California Berkeley. He completed an executive education program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Neal joined Mendel in July 2002. He was previously vice president of research at DNA Plant Technologies, Inc. Since 2005, Neal served as the company’s president and chief operating officer with overall responsibility for leading the operations of the biotechnology traits, chemistry and bio-energy seeds business segments, inclusive of intellectual property prosecution and strategy.
Neal is a member of the Food and Agriculture Section Governing Body of the BIO organization.
Mendel Biotechnology, Inc.
CONTACT: Murray Phimester of Mendel Biotechnology, Inc., +1-510-264-0280
Web site: http://www.mendelbio.com//
