SPEARHEAD - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Advisor
• Chairman of the Board of ScanBio Marine Group
• Partner of Paine Schwartz Partners

David Buckeridge is a Partner of Paine Schwartz Partners and has more than 25 years of management experience in the life science and agribusiness industries. He was an Operating Director at the Predecessor Firm, which he joined in 2006. Dr. Buckeridge was previously the CEO of Advanta, the largest independent agronomic seed business in the world at the time and a Fund II portfolio company. David began his career with the multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, spending approximately 20 years in a variety of management positions. During this time, he spent approximately eight years in the agrochemicals business, holding several management positions with a European focus. He also spent five years in Des Moines, Iowa, running the commercial operations for AstraZeneca's seeds business in the US. During this time, as part of the management team, he helped to substantially restructure the sales and marketing organization, increasing the quality and the professionalism of the personnel and restoring profitability to the business. Dr. Buckeridge is chairman of the board of ScanBio Marine Group and serves on the boards of Rivulis, Spearhead International, and Verdesian Life Sciences. Previously, he also served on the board of Icicle. Dr. Buckeridge also serves on the board of Velcourt, a U.K.-based farm management company. He has a Bachelor of Science and Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Sciences from the University of Wales (U.K.) and was raised in London, England.

Dean Tiessen was tragically killed in December 2013, NEF continues the work and vision that he and Paul started.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Member of the Management Team

After graduating from Bangor University with a Degree in Agricultural Botany, Mike completed his Doctorate in ‘Seed Physiology' at the University of Stirling.Before being involved in the creation of New Energy Farms in 2010, Mike spent his whole career in agricultural R&D and technology transfer and was previously the Director of Arable Research Centres (ARC) and then The Arable Group (TAG) for 22 years.The role of Technical Manager in New Energy Farms involves patents, trademarking, project development and being part of the internal R&D team at NEF.

Job Titles:

• CEO
• Member of the Management Team

Paul has over 20 years experience of the development and commercialization of perennial energy grasses in the EU, North and South America. Paul holds a PhD in crop physiology of the energy grass Miscanthus. After 2 years in government research into energy crops from 2000 he worked on commercial research and scale up of energy crops from farm end user contracting to farm implementation, prior to co founding NEF in 2010. Since 2012 he has worked on tropical energy grasses including Sugarcane.

Job Titles:

• Advisor

Michael SUMMERS received his BSc. in Botany from Exeter University (UK) in 1964. He brings more than 45 years of broad, worldwide, hands-on general management experience in plant breeding, biotechnology and seeds. His consultancy activity and experience in non-executive director positions provide an unusually broad vision. After graduation he joined Fisons Limited (UK) Management Training Scheme followed by experience in agricultural and industrial chemicals, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals. In 1971 he joined the Nickerson Seed Company, already partly owned by Shell, originally in marketing and then in UK General Management. In 1979, in France, Mr. SUMMERS established Shell's field crop breeding, production and marketing subsidiary. Profitability was achieved in only four years and he led the business for 8 years. In 1987 he was appointed General Manger of Shell's ailing vegetable seed subsidiary, Nickerson Zwaan (NL), and helped to achieve a turnaround in two years. In 1989 he returned to the UK to join the team responsible for Shell's divestment of plant breeding and biotech, and its sale to Groupe Limagrain. In 1990 he set up SUMMERS ASSOCIATES - a worldwide consultancy focussed on biotechnology licensing and plant breeding technology in a uniquely wide range of feed, food and industrial crops, vegetables and ornamentals. In addition to a number of non-executive board positions Mr. SUMMERS has carried out missions for numerous financial investors and companies including Japan Tobacco, Groupe Limagrain, Seminis, Innotech Investments, Agricultural Genetics Company (UK), Paradigm Genetics, Anawah (now Arcadia), Norsk Hydro, Groupe Plan, Sakata, NIAB, Elsoms, Preesman and many others . Also in 1990 he became part-time Managing Director of Floranova Ltd (UK). He negotiated the acquisition of the Clause flower seeds business in 1995 and took the combined company from significant losses to a high level of profitability. He retired from Floranova at the end of 2006, after more than 16 years, having helped achieve its sale to a private investor. Mr. SUMMERS now focuses on a very small group of clients - specifically BenchBio, New Energy Farms, Synpromics and Plastid.