UK: SOLASTA Bio Makes Trio of Senior Appointments to Fuel Growth
SOLASTA Bio, specializing in the next generation of green insecticides, has appointed three senior business and industry experts to support the company’s UK and US growth as it prepares for market entry.
Emma Axelson, based in Scotland, joins as Chief of Staff. She will be responsible for supporting Shireen Davies, SOLASTA Bio’s CEO, with strategic planning and execution, operations, communications and key projects. Emma brings over 25 years of diverse experience spanning business and shareholder value creation, operations, strategy, commercial evaluation, communications, change management, planning, logistics and marketing.
Before joining SOLASTA Bio, Emma served as Interim Chief Operating Officer and Strategic Adviser to two European nutritional supplement businesses. Prior to this, she was Chief Operating Officer for Copylab Group, a global financial communications agency, supporting the world’s leading asset and wealth managers.
James (Jim) Cink joins as Global Head of Product Development, based in the US. Jim will lead product strategy and development, supporting Paula Pinto, SOLASTA Bio’s Chief Strategy Officer, to execute to company’s go-to-market strategy.
An accomplished global leader, Jim brings over 25 years of experience in agriculture, sustainability, and commercialization of innovative crop protection products and technologies, with previous tenure at industry leaders including Bayer, BASF, FMC, and Indigo Ag, driving innovation from early discovery through to successful market launches.
Solito Sumulong, based in the US, joins as Regulatory Affairs Manager. He will oversee registration of SOLASTA Bio’s solutions in the US and international markets, as well as ensuring regulatory compliance for all company activities.
A champion of science-based regulatory navigation, Solito brings over two decades of experience in ag tech innovation, supporting biologicals, synthetic actives, and advanced formulation technologies at organisations including AgriThority, Nutrien Ag Solutions, and Provivi. He has led regulatory assessments, market development strategies, and manufacturing scalability projects that turn technical ambition into commercial reality.
Shireen Davies, CEO of SOLASTA Bio, said: “I’m very pleased to welcome Emma, Jim, and Solito to the SOLASTA Bio team at this pivotal moment in our company’s growth. Their combined expertise across operations, product development, and regulatory affairs will be invaluable as we scale our operations and navigate the next steps towards bringing our unique green insecticides to market.”
Following an oversubscribed $14 million Series A funding round in September 2024, SOLASTA® Bio recently received its first patent grant, with additional patents expected to follow, while also securing a favorable biochemical-like classification from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its lead peptide candidates, reducing both the time and cost associated with bringing its green insecticides to market.
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