Benson Hill Announces Leadership Transition
June 16 2023 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
Adrienne “Deanie” Elsner Appointed Interim
Chief Executive Officer, Effective Immediately
Matt Crisp Resigning as Chief Executive
Officer
Benson Hill, Inc. (NYSE: BHIL, the “Company” or “Benson Hill”),
a food tech company unlocking the natural genetic diversity of
plants, today announced that Adrienne “Deanie” Elsner has been
appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Ms.
Elsner succeeds Matt Crisp, who has agreed to resign as Chief
Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Crisp will serve as
consultant to the Board for 12 months to ensure a smooth
transition.
The Board is initiating a search process for the Company’s next
permanent CEO. To assist in the process, the Board will retain an
executive search firm to conduct a comprehensive search and will
evaluate both internal and external candidates.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I’d like to thank Matt for
his contributions to Benson Hill. Since co-founding the Company
over a decade ago, Matt has helped establish Benson Hill’s vision
and led the Company to where it is today,” said Dan Jacobi,
Chairman of the Benson Hill Board of Directors. “The Board
continues to focus on operational excellence and maximizing the
long-term value of Benson Hill’s technology and products. We are
grateful to have an established leader in Deanie step in as interim
CEO during this important time. Deanie has significant operating
experience and a record of delivering results in complex
organizations. We are confident that she is the right person to
lead the Company as we identify a permanent leader to take Benson
Hill into its next phase.”
Mr. Crisp said, “I co-founded Benson Hill with the goal of
bringing necessary innovation and disruption that has been sorely
lacking across the agri-food value chain. From attracting the best
team in our industry, to developing best-in-class platforms like
CropOS and Crop Accelerator, to acquiring key facilities and
vertically integrating to achieve our go-to-market strategy, we
have established a foundation for growth that is poised to reshape
the future of food production. That said, as we focus on the
execution required to navigate this operating landscape, the Board
and I have agreed that now is the right time to begin transitioning
Benson Hill’s leadership.”
Mr. Crisp continued, “I know I am leaving the Company in capable
hands, and I intend to work closely with Deanie to ensure a smooth
transition for our stakeholders. It has been an honor to work
alongside the creative and dedicated Benson Hill team, and I thank
them for their commitment to Being Bold and supporting me and the
Company for the past eleven years.”
“It is a privilege to take on the role of Interim CEO of Benson
Hill,” said Ms. Elsner. “Benson Hill has grown tremendously since
2012, using its proprietary data and technology, making key
investments to build out its unique model and bringing to market
innovative products made better from the beginning. I look forward
to working with the Board and the Benson Hill team to enable the
Company to reach its full potential.”
Separately, Benson Hill today announced in a standalone press
release the appointment of Richard Mack as an Independent Director
to the Company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr.
Mack brings nearly 30 years of agribusiness leadership experience
to the Benson Hill Board.
About Deanie Elsner
Ms. Elsner is a business leader with a track-record of
delivering transformational change across North American and
International businesses. She recently served as President, Chief
Executive Officer, and Director of Charlotte’s Web Holdings, Inc.,
a vertically integrated leader in hemp-derived CBD extract
products, from 2019 to 2021. Prior to that, she served as
President, U.S. Snacks, Kellogg Company. Before that, she worked
with notable companies in the consumer products industry including
Kraft Foods, Quaker Oats, Johnson & Johnson and Procter &
Gamble. Ms. Elsner serves on the Board of Directors for Owens
Corning, a Fortune 500 industrial manufacturing company. She
previously served on the board of the Ad Council. Ms. Elsner
received an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of
Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University
of Arizona.
About Benson Hill
Benson Hill moves food forward with the CropOS® platform, a
cutting-edge food innovation engine that combines data science and
machine learning with biology and genetics. Benson Hill empowers
innovators to unlock nature’s genetic diversity from plant to
plate, with the purpose of creating nutritious, great-tasting food
and ingredient options that are both widely accessible and
sustainable. More information can be found at bensonhill.com or on
Twitter at @bensonhillinc.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may be considered
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking
statements generally relate to future events or the Company’s
future financial or operating performance and may be identified by
words such as “may,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,”
“estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “predict,” or similar words.
These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions made by
the Company as of the date hereof and are subject to risks,
uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements
include, among other things, statements regarding the execution of
the Company’s business plan; the Company’s executive leadership
transition and the Company’s CEO search process, including the
Board’s retention of an executive search firm and the evaluation of
both internal and external candidates; the review of the Company’s
business; and the appointment of a new director to the Company’s
Board. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially
from current expectations and guidance include, but are not limited
to: risks associated with the Company’s execution of its executive
leadership transition, including, among others, risks relating to
maintaining key employee, customer, partner and supplier
relationships; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the
sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements” in our filings with the SEC, which are
available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Nothing in this
press release should be regarded as a representation by any person
that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be
achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such
forward-looking statements will be achieved, including without
limitation, any expectations about our operational and financial
performance or achievements. There may be additional risks about
which the Company is presently unaware or that the Company
currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual
results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking
statements. The reader should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they
are made. The Company expressly disclaims any duty to update these
forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by
law.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230616337141/en/
Investors: Ruben Mella: (314) 714-6313 / rmella@bensonhill.com
Media: Christi Dixon: (636) 359-0797 / cdixon@bensonhill.com
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