AgroPages-Shawn Semones joins Inocucor as Global Chief Technology Officer-Agricultural news

Inocucor has appointed Novozymes BioAg R&D leader Shawn Semones, Ph.D. as Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Technology Officer.

Semones is a distinguished R&D director with more than 18 years of experience at Novozymes Biologicals, Inc., where he helped build its BioAg R&D Application Division. Most recently, he was Director of BioAg R&D Application Development and Novozymes Biologicals Site Lead, directing R&D efforts across three sites within North America, as well as a global field R&D team.

Semones' recent work has focused on the applied discovery of microbial technology for agriculture. He has been the R&D lead for the BioAg Alliance, the strategic alliance between Novozymes and Monsanto tasked with the development of new microbial technologies for agriculture, since its inception in 2014.

“Shawn has spent his entire career as a leader in the field of agricultural biologicals,” said Inocucor President and CEO Donald R. Marvin. "He brings a unique combination of R&D, business development and communications experience to Inocucor."

Semones will oversee all R&D operations, field trials, regulatory affairs and strategic product development partnerships for Inocucor, directing scientists at its Technical Center for Excellence in Montreal and its U.S. Headquarters in Centennial, Colo. He holds a Ph.D. in Biology – Plant Physiology/Mycology from Virginia Tech, as well as M.S. and B.S. degrees in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Inocucor uses a patented fermentation process to combine multi-strains of bacteria, yeasts and fungi into powerful biostimulants that naturally improve crop yields, shorten growing periods and produce healthier, more resilient soils. It also is developing microbial biocontrol products that target devastating diseases in potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries.