Company names Laureen Thompson Head of People and Human Resources
Thompson brings more than 30 years of experience to leadership post
Berkeley, CA and Wayzata, MN (April 3, 2025) - Pivot Bio, one of the world's leading innovative agtech companies, is announcing the appointment of Laureen Thompson to the role of head of people and human resources. She will serve as a member of the company's executive leadership team, reporting to Chris Abbott, chief executive officer of Pivot Bio.
"Laureen brings significant experience to this leadership role," said Abbott. "As we have continued to grow, she has played an important role in shaping our workforce strategy, fostering a positive workplace culture and driving the engagement of our team. I look forward to her aligning human resources strategies with overall business objectives, supporting both organizational growth and team member well-being."
In her new position, Thompson will focus on the company's overall people and human resources strategy, working with team members who are based at four hubs in California, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota, and an office in Brazil. She will oversee all aspects of human resources management: recruitment, talent development, team member engagement, compensation and benefits, and organizational culture.
Thompson joined Pivot Bio in 2022 as senior director of total rewards, bringing more than 25 years of strategic HR experience to the company. In addition to total rewards, Thompson recently took on responsibility for talent acquisition, HR systems and operations.
Her career began at Prudential. During her time there, she was selected to serve in its rotational leadership program. She went on to spend more than a decade at Willis Towers Watson as a consultant and 16 years at VWR/Avantor, where she served as global vice president of total rewards and played a key role in executing two IPOs.
Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts in education from Arcadia University and an MBA from LaSalle University. She is active in the human resources field and serves on several nonprofit boards.
Pivot Bio Announces Appointment of Travis Frey as Chief Technology Officer
Frey will lead research and development, science and innovation for Pivot Bio, as the
company continues its leadership in the agtech and biologicals industry
Berkeley, CA and Wayzata, MN (April 7, 2025) - Pivot Bio announced the appointment of Travis Frey as the company's chief technology officer. Frey, a leading agricultural innovator and scientist, assumes the post following the retirement of industry veteran Ernie Sanders. In this role, Frey will lead the company's global research and development, innovation and science teams at Pivot Bio, named one of the world's most innovative companies by Fast Company in 2024, and recently named one of the world's top Greentech companies by Time magazine.
Frey will serve on the company's executive leadership team, reporting to Chris Abbott, chief executive officer of Pivot Bio, and will be based at the company's corporate office in Wayzata, MN.
"We are excited to welcome Travis to the Pivot Bio team," said Abbott. "He has a proven track record of developing and deploying new technology in agriculture across hundreds of millions of acres. As a strategic leader known for bringing science-backed innovation to every organization he has been part of, I am confident he will bring that same spirit of innovation to Pivot Bio as we focus on our strategic road map with new and transformative products."
Frey is adept at research, development and scientific discovery work, including at large global companies like Monsanto and growth-oriented startups like Cibus. Most recently, he served as chief technology officer at Mindful Care, a health care growth company. Before joining Mindful Care, he was the chief technology officer at Calyxt, leading the company's groundbreaking work in gene-edited crops. In addition, he contributed to the successful reverse merger between Calyxt and Cibus. Subsequently, he assumed an executive vice president position, responsible for developing the post-merger corporate strategy and sustainable products division of Cibus. During his tenure at both companies, Frey aided in the raising of over $30 million in public market funding.
His career also includes roles such as vice president of science and innovation at WISErg Corporation and various leadership roles at Monsanto Company, where he played a key part in advancing agricultural technologies and securing multiple patents.
Frey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in horticulture from The Pennsylvania State University (University Park), and a Master of Science degree in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds a Ph.D. in plant biology and biotechnology from the University of Delaware and Dupont/Pioneer. In addition, in 2018, Frey completed an MBA at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. Widely published, he has received dozens of patents on seeds, plant health, and packaging, as well as developed new genetic technologies for crop yield and disease resistance.
About Pivot Bio
Pivot Bio, one of the world's leading innovative agtech companies, delivers to farmers patented crop nutrition technologies that harness the power of nature to reliably and productively grow the food the world needs in the face of increasing volatility.
Currently available in North America and soon in Brazil, the company's products are a breakthrough innovation and one of the agriculture industry's most promising climate solutions. Pivot Bio has been recognized three times by Time magazine on its annual list of best inventions, by Fast Company on its World Changing Ideas and World's 50 Most Innovative Companies lists, by CNBC on its Disruptor 50 list of private companies, by Fortune on its Impact 20 list of startups driving social good and by MIT Tech Review as one of 15 climate tech companies to watch. For more information, visit PivotBio.com.