Valmont Industries, Inc. has named Avner M. Applbaum as president and chief executive officer.
Applbaum has more than 25 years of experience in senior operational and financial roles in publicly traded and private equity-backed companies, including Valmont where he has served as executive vice president (EVP) and chief financial officer (CFO) since March 2020, and previously Double E Company, Ametek, Belden, and TE Connectivity, formerly Tyco Electronics.
As EVP and CFO of Valmont, Mr. Applbaum has led the IT infrastructure, cybersecurity and technology innovation functions, and has been responsible for developing and implementing the company’s financial strategy and overseeing all financial activities.
The company also announced the appointment of Timothy P. Francis, senior vice president and finance business partner, global operations, and former SVP, corporate controller as interim chief financial officer. ●
Avner M. Applbaum,president and chief executive officer, Valmont Industries, Inc
Verdesian Life Sciences announced Clare Doyle as its new chief executive officer (CEO).
Doyle brings to Verdesian more than 35 years of experience across a variety of industries, most notably electronics, specialty chemicals and building materials sectors. She most recently served as the chief sustainability officer for Masonite International, a role she has held since October 2021, where she was responsible for building and implementing the company’sESG strategy.
Prior to this role, Clare was the senior vice president and general manager-Masonite Europe where she led the transformation of Masonite’s businesses in the region. Before joining Masonite, she was with Elementis PLC from 2010-2016, most recently as vice president of marketing. Prior to that, she spent 11 years with Rohm and Haas Company in various roles in electronic materials, architectural and functional coatings, and corporate development.
Doyle earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Tulane University and an MBA from Columbia University. ●
Clare Doyle, chief executive officer (CEO), Verdesian Life Sciences
Ag tech industry veteran John Gates has been appointed the chief revenue officer of CropX Technologies and will lead its global commercial expansion. CropX develops digital tools for farm management that boost yields and reduce inputs.
Gates previously served as interim CEO of CropX's European division, which includes Dacom Farm Intelligence. He also served as senior VP and global head of product for CropX and led post-merger integrations of technologies from four acquisitions into the CropX platform.
Before joining CropX, Gates served as the chief science officer and head of product at CropMetrics, which was acquired by CropX. Prior to that, he was a senior scientist at The Climate Corporation and a professor at the University of Nebraska. ●
John Gates,chief revenue officer,CropX Technologies
ADM has appointedDr. Nuria Miquel as senior vice president and chief science officer.
Miquel started her career as a research scientist before progressing to leadership roles at Novozymes, Tate & Lyle, Chr. Hansen and Hempel. She joined ADM three years ago as leader of science and technology for the company’s nutrition segment.
Miquel earned her Ph.D. from the University of Copenhagen and University of Bristol, on the effect of nutrition to immune responses in monogastric parasitic infections.
Miquel replaces Dr. Todd Werpy, who announced his retirement after leading ADM’s R&D and innovation efforts for 16 years. ●
Dr. Nuria Miquel, senior vice president and chief science officer, ADM
Greeneye Technology has appointed Ori Sarfaty to the role of vice president of research and development.
Building on Greeneye's U.S. launch last year, Sarfaty will spearhead the development of the company's next-generation technology to include new inputs and crops.
Sarfaty's career spans more than 25 years and includes senior R&D roles with both global organizations and start-up companies working with diverse technologies, including robotics, machine learning, and big data analysis tools. He spent 15 years with Applied Materials Inc., a leader in equipment and machine vision systems for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. This included eight years in the role of VP of product development, where he was responsible for spearheading the design, development and commercialization of multiple new platforms and products and managed a team of more than 500 researchers and engineers.
Prior to joining Greeneye Technology, Sarfaty was VP of research and development at medical product manufacturer Emedgene (prior to its acquisition by Illumina Inc.), driving the development of a diagnosis system for genetic diseases using machine learning technologies and big data analysis tools.
Sarfaty holds a B.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and a M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering fromBoston University. ●
Ori Sarfaty, vice president of research and development, Greeneye Technology
Paul Victor has been appointed as interim CEO while the company’s board undertakes a search process for a permanent CEO. IPL’s chief of staff, Liza Somers, has been appointed as interim CFO.
Victor joined the company as chief financial officer in mid-2022. He brings more than 30 years international experience, including working in a multinational company. Prior to his appointment as chief financial officer at IPL, Victor had a 10-year tenure at Sasol where he was acting CFO, group financial controller and CFO of Sasol Synfuels, a subsidiary of Sasol Limited. He was also the financial manager for Harmony Gold Mining for four years.
Victor is a qualified chartered accountant and is also recognized by the Australian Chartered Accountant Board as a practising CA in Australia. He completed his articles at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in 1996. ●
Paul Victor, interim CEO,Incitec Pivot
