GreenLight hires commercial team to launch biocontrol products to the ag market

GreenLight Biosciences, Inc., the bio-performance company developing RNA-based solutions for agriculture and pharmaceutical applications, announced the hiring of three experienced agricultural leaders as the company's commercial team. Ron Flannagan has been named director, technical portfolio management; Joe Hanson joins as director, market development; and Catie Lee will serve as senior marketing manager. 

 

"GreenLight is working to bring cutting edge technology and products that provide improvements for producers, the planet and people. We currently are developing targeted biocontrol solutions that control pests, allowing farmers to grow strong crops in an environmentally friendly way without harming important insects, like pollinators," said Mick Messman, chief commercial officer at GreenLight. 

 

"We are making great progress with our RNA technology to control the Colorado Potato Beetle, and are confident that Ron, Joe and Catie's experience working with customers and helping companies launch new products will enable us to successfully bring this highly targeted, natural pest control innovation to the market." 

 

Ron Flannagan joins GreenLight as director, technical portfolio management. He has more than 20 years of experience working in the agriculture industry, including serving as a research scientist in insect control at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. (now Corteva Agriscience). 

 

Ron spent the past 12 years at Monsanto Company (now Bayer Crop Sciences), where he led the strategy and implementation for a number of insect control solutions within research and development. Most recently, he was responsible for regional business strategy, product positioning and technical sales support as Monsanto's regional agronomy lead in Iowa. Ron earned a bachelor's degree in biotechnology from the University of Northern Iowa and holds a doctorate in molecular, cellular and developmental biology from The Ohio State University. 

 

Joe Hanson will serve GreenLight as director, market development. He brings nearly 25 years of experience managing various business functions at major agriculture companies. Prior to joining GreenLight, he was the global business development lead for Elemental Enzymes, where he oversaw strategy and relationships with manufacturers and distributors. 

 

During that time, he successfully led the market development for two first-of-its-kind technologies and commercialized five products. He also spent nearly 10 years working in marketing and commercial business roles with a focus on the development of emerging technologies at DuPont Pioneer (now Corteva Agriscience), and managed agronomy programs at Helena Chemical Company (now Helena Agri-Enterprises) and Rabideau Grain Inc. Joe graduated with a bachelor's degree in agriculture science from Illinois State University. 

 

Catie Lee will serve as senior marketing manager at GreenLight. Previously, she was a manager at Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN, where she designed and launched programs aimed at developing markets for environmentally friendly products and technologies for both farmers and agricultural retailers. 

 

Additional agriculture experience includes roles with the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and in global seed treatment at DuPont Pioneer (now Corteva Agriscience). She also worked as a consultant at Bain & Company, working with clients to develop data-backed growth strategies across a variety of markets. Catie holds a bachelor's degree from Williams College and received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. 

 

"As a growing population puts pressure on our global food system, the agriculture industry needs new ways to address pest and disease problems," said Mick. "By establishing our commercial team, we are one step closer to building the relationships necessary to translate our technology into impactful solutions."