Amyris, Inc. announced the appointment of Kathleen Valiasek, formerly Chief Financial Officer, to Chief Business Officer effective immediately. Valiasek will assume a dedicated role of furthering the company’s strategy of collaborating with large, well-funded partners to grow the company’s business. Simultaneously, she will continue to oversee the company’s financing and investor relations activities.
“The board and I appreciate the many significant contributions Kathy has made in her role as CFO including her leadership of our entry into cannabinoids. We are looking forward to her leadership in further advancing this business as we become one of the world’s leading producers of CBD,” said John Melo, Amyris President & CEO.
“After experiencing the power of Amyris’s technology platform and the ability to leverage it to disrupt multiple markets through partnerships, I’m excited to take on my new role driving growth and strengthening the company’s position in our chosen markets,” said Valiasek. “I look forward to supporting Amyris in maintaining its market leadership in clean ingredients while improving the health of people and our planet through the greater availability of clean, safe and efficacious sustainable products.”
The company also announced that it has appointed Jonathan Wolter as Interim CFO. In this capacity, Wolter will focus primarily upon and assist with completing the company’s audit procedures and process of finalizing and filing its 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for first-quarter 2019 to bring Amyris into compliance with Securities and Exchange Commission regulations and Nasdaq listing requirements as quickly as possible.
Wolter has extensive experience and expertise in financial management, operations, audit, controls, SEC reporting and compliance. Since 2004 he has served as a partner with FLG Partners where he has been retained as CFO by the boards of multiple public and private companies. Prior to joining FLG, Wolter was International Controller with KPMG Consulting where he also served as CFO of the firm’s Latin America operations. Previously, he held CFO and controller roles with public and private companies and also served as senior audit manager with Arthur Andersen & Co. His experience spans the biotechnology, technology, electronics, manufacturing, engineering, and banking sectors.
“We welcome Jonathan aboard and look forward to leveraging his significant experience to support our accounting and financial reporting compliance needs as our business continues to grow and expand in the markets we serve,” said John Melo.