Richard Broglie, Ph.D., leads Pivot Bio’s research and development program, creating a vibrant and innovative R&D culture by championing strong, interdisciplinary connections between scientific specialties. In addition to leading the in-house research teams and managing partnerships with our external collaborators, Rich focuses on the acquisition of new technologies, building strong intellectual property portfolios, bringing products to market, working with our leadership team to develop long-term technology strategies, and mentoring young scientists.

Prior to joining Pivot Bio, Rich spent 30 years in research and global leadership positions at DuPont and DuPont Pioneer and brings extensive experience managing public-private sector partnerships and overseeing global, multi-crop R&D programs. During his tenure, Rich led several discovery programs that resulted in soybean and canola crops with healthier and more stable seed oil compositions. He also developed traits for disease and pest resistance in soybean, corn, wheat, rice, and sugarcane. 

After earning his Bachelor of Science in biology and Ph.D. in microbiology from Rutgers University, Rich served as a postdoctoral fellow and assistant professor at The Rockefeller University, which served as the foundation for his biotechnology research career. The recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, Rich is an invited speaker at numerous international scientific conferences, including the National Academies of Sciences, and has authored more than 30 scientific publications and is an inventor on several important patents.

Natalie Hubbard, Ph.D. leads Pivot Bio’s regulatory program, managing its products through the process of international commercialization and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and stewardship practices throughout the product life cycle. A trained plant scientist and trusted industry leader, Natalie brings extensive experience promoting science- and risk-based policy for biological products.

Joining Pivot Bio after a 27-year career at DuPont and DuPont Pioneer, Natalie held numerous positions there, including Director of Regulatory Affairs, as well as roles in product registration, biotechnology affairs, and research. She led the company’s U.S. product registration and managed relationships with the USDA, EPA, FDA, and industry partners. She also represented the company in trade associations during a time of regulatory turbulence for crops derived from biotechnology.

Natalie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in plant and soil science from the University of Vermont, a Master of Science degree in crop science, and Ph.D. in plant physiology from North Carolina State University. Her research has appeared in textbooks and numerous scholarly publications.

Joining Pivot Bio in February 2021, Doug Jeffries serves as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he leads the business operations teams to ensure the company has the talent, information and capital to efficiently become the premier provider of sustainable nitrogen products to the world’s farmers.

Doug has broad leadership experience in public companies and startups and has successfully managed IPOs and other strategic transactions. He has led the development of high performing, multinational teams and scalable technology systems/processes in support of a number of high growth businesses. Doug began his career as a CPA with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He holds an MBA from University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University-Chico.

Allen Kuo negotiates Pivot Bio’s business and research agreements and establishes strong, vision-driven relationships. Allen led conversations for the 2018 R&D collaboration with Bayer for development of the nitrogen-fixing microbe Bradyrhizobium, and other agreements the company has in place. In addition to negotiating and drafting these critical contracts, he also manages our outside counsel, our intellectual property portfolio, and advises on company strategy, policy, and risk mitigation.

Prior to joining Pivot Bio, Allen was a civil litigator at Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeny (San Francisco) and brings expertise in drafting and negotiating consultant agreements, confidential settlement agreements, and NDAs. He also has significant experience in law and motion practice, discovery, depositions, dispositive motion practice, mediation, trial and appeals.

Allen earned his Bachelor of Arts in nutrition science from the University of California at Davis, and his Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco. While at USF, Allen was awarded a Top 10 Oral Advocate Award. He is a member of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the California State Bar.

Christa Peren develops and implements financial plans, presenting company leadership with a clear financial picture to help them allocate funds, prioritize high ROI projects, and make financially-sound decisions. In addition to providing big-picture financial guidance and transparency, Christa also develops the processes and controls to support the complex needs of a rapidly growing company.

With 25 years in financial management and public accounting including nearly a decade in international leadership with multinational Fortune 500 companies, Christa brings extensive expertise in accounting, controllership, strategic finance, and business development. She’s led teams through acquisitions and management changes and is credited with creating several financial models that have improved financial trend monitoring, market and market share analysis, new product launches, and pricing decisions.

Prior to joining Pivot Bio, Christa was Director of Finance for the Medical Optics Division of Abbott Laboratories (acquired by Johnson and Johnson in 2017), covering all North and South America commercial regions. She’s also held senior financial roles at Bausch & Lomb, both in the U.S. and at its European Logistics Center in the Netherlands.

Christa earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Iowa. She also holds certifications from the Center for Creative Leadership and Coaching for Peak Performance.

Mark Reisinger is responsible for the commercial strategy for Pivot Bio’s cutting-edge technology and novel fertilizer solutions. A farmer himself, Mark brings a deep knowledge of grower needs as well as extensive professional experience in commercial strategy, brand development, product marketing, and advocacy.

Prior to joining Pivot Bio, Mark was the Senior Marketing Manager for North American Seed Treatment Enterprise at DuPont Pioneer. He also worked as the company’s Global Grain Trade Lead, collaborating with NGOs, regulatory offices, and trade associations to promote biotechnology.

Mark has served as the Chief Agricultural Policy Advisor to Iowa Senator Charles E. Grassley, the CEO of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, and Iowa State Director of the USDA’s Office of Rural Development where he and his team received the USDA’s Information and Outreach Award for outstanding public relations.

Mark earned his undergraduate degree from Iowa State University and his JD from Drake Law School. He grew up on a corn, soybean, alfalfa and livestock farm near Eldora, Iowa, and is still actively involved with the family farming operation.

Ernie Sanders directs the design, development, and launch strategy of new Pivot Bio products. With a deep understanding of the range of farming practices, Ernie oversees our field trials, analyzes performance data to better understand how our products interact with the environment and their efficacy in different conditions. Sharing this information with growers, he is relied upon to make data-backed recommendations about how our products can work for farmers, with their systems, and on their land. 

Prior to joining Pivot Bio, Ernie spent 37-years at Monsanto, holding positions in research, technology direction, and corporate strategy. He culminated his tenure as Head of Global Launch and Product Expansions for Seed Applied Solutions. Ernie brings extensive experience in the technical management of product discovery and development, as well as international oversight and mergers and acquisitions. In 2017 Ernie received the Queeny Award, Monsanto’s highest scientific honor for launching the Intacta RR2 PRO^™ soybean technology in South America.

Ernie earned his Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural science from the University of Tennessee and his Master of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Memphis. 

Brenda Stone leads Pivot Bio’s company structure needs and culture by directing talent acquisition, talent development, and people operations for a growing team. Drawn to mission-driven people and organizations, she designs human resource processes with Pivot Bio’s unique goals and opportunities in mind. Brenda specializes in building systems for and with employees that foster belonging; ensuring that every individual understands where they fit, how they contribute, and their path for growth.

With more than 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors, she brings expertise in organization effectiveness, talent development, talent acquisition and people operations.

Prior to joining Pivot Bio, Brenda was the Director of Human Resources at Code for America, a non-profit startup that improves government services through technology. She’s also worked in the financial and pharmaceutical industries, as well as for arts and philanthropic organizations. Her consulting clients include the World Bank (Washington DC), Servicio de Impuestos Internos (Santiago Chile), and XinCheng New Materials (Datong, China), among others.

Brenda earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and business from the University of California-Berkeley, and her Master of Science in organization development from Pepperdine. She also holds certifications from Senior Professionals in Human Resources and the Society for Human Research Management.

With a strong background in corporate communications, Tracy brings a wide breadth of expertise to Pivot Bio, where she develops high-impact public relations programs that drive business results and stakeholder engagement. Before joining Pivot Bio, she led the global communications team at DuPont Pioneer where she was responsible for media relations, digital and social media, crisis communications, brand management, and internal communications.