Team

Dieter
Thiem 

Co-founder & CEO

has 40 + years of experience and successfully initiated and managed multiple food startup businesses. Recent initiatives focus on bringing affordable, high-quality vegetarian products to the world. In North America, Dieter’s innovation and production optimization services have helped numerous brand owners. Dieter was President of Flora Protein meat alternatives manufacturing company. Dieter led Flora Protein from startup phase to profitability, Flora Protein was extremely successful and sold to Garden Protein, owners of Gardein brand.

Alexa Hergenröther 

Co-CEO

has 25+ years of experience in global M&A and general management roles. Started as consultant with Deloitte, holds a tax advisor degree in Germany. Alexa spent 20+ years with K+S AG, Germany, a stock listed multinational company active in potash and salt mining serving agricultural, food and feed markets as well as chemical applications. Alexa led K+S’ corporate development and M&A department successfully executing major acquisition and divestiture projects. As general manager, Alexa spent 2,5 years in South America and later 6,5 years in Germany being responsible for a business unit with EUR 2,000 M in revenues and 10,000 employees as well as leading the construction, commissioning and operational ramp-up process of K+S’ EUR 3,000 M CapEx project in Saskachewan, Canada. As Non-Executive Independed Director Alexa currently serves on the board of four leading European companies.

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Leonidas
Bell 

Co-founder & COO

has spent 30 + years in the food industry. He holds a BSc in Biochemistry and a MBA in Finance from McGill University. At ADM Company he served in commercial roles promoting ADM’s plant-based solutions. And spent a decade in R&D and technical services managing ADM’s wheat-based food ingredients. During this time, Leon and team successfully patented a wheat protein technology which was scaled up and commercialized.

Claudia O’Hearn

VP Quality & Innovation

has 30 + years in Quality and R&D experience in the food, biotechnology and brewing industries. She has a Ph.D. in Food Technology / Biotechnology from Humboldt University of Berlin Germany. Claudia is an experienced leader with a proven track record overseeing regulatory, food safety, quality management and R&D programs. Most recently as Vice President of Quality and R&D at Sipco Bioengineering. Claudia also managed and directed the Quality and R&D teams at Molson Coors, Meadow Fresh Dairy and Flora Protein.