KeyGene appoints Walter Nelson as Chief Executive Officer for KeyGene USA

Date:12-22-2017

KeyGene, a molecular genetics company specializing in agricultural biotechnology, today announced that Walter Nelson has been appointed Chief Executive Officer for KeyGene USA. Mr. Nelson will oversee all of KeyGene’s operations in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

“We are pleased to have Walter assume this leadership role. He has a keen sense of the technologies needed to rapidly establish and advance molecular breeding and biotech programs. He has years of experience at crop research firms and understands the needs of our customers, from their strategic priorities to laboratory operations,” said Arjen van Tunen, chief executive of Keygene N.V., the U.S. entity’s parent company located in The Netherlands.

Mr. Nelson most recently served as KeyGene USA’s Vice President of Business Development. Prior to joining the company, he served as Vice President of Commercial Development at Ceres, Inc., where he led launch teams for multiple commercial enterprises and research ventures in the U.S., Europe and South America. He earned his MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he also obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry.

“Since joining KeyGene, my goal has been to help crop science organizations incorporate the latest technologies into their programs in order to achieve their goals more quickly, reduce expenses and open up new areas of research,” said Walter Nelson. “This is an exciting time at KeyGene as we grow the organization and explore new technology platforms. I look forward to expanding the crop innovation and translational agriculture tools that continue to provide new insights and opportunities for crop, food and ingredient developers.”

KeyGene plans to exhibit at the upcoming Plant and Animal Genome Conference in San Diego, California on January 13-17, 2018. The company will also host its annual workshop at the conference to discuss the overall impact of innovative technologies on industry and consumers.