CHICAGO — As cultivated meat company Believer Meats looks to move into the next phase of commercialization, the company announced three new executive leadership appointments, effective immediately.

Believer Meats named Heather Hudson its new chief product and growth officer. She will be based near the company’s forthcoming commercial-scale facility in Wilson, NC, which is expected to be operational in 2024.

With over two decades of experience driving innovation in Fortune 500 companies and startups within the food and agriculture industries, Hudson will play a key role in Believer Meats’ expansion. The company believes her expertise will lend to the commercial success for Believer Meats’ products in the emerging cultivated meat industry.

Hudson brings experience from Kraft Heinz, Bumble Beef Foods and Pairwise. She holds a bachelor's degree in nutrition, a PhD in food science and a Master of Business Administration.

The second appointment announced was Frida Grynspan as the company’s new chief science officer. She brings more than two decades of experience in biotech and life sciences into her new role.

Most recently, Grynspan served as head of Lonza’s Collaborative Innovation Center in Haifa, Israel, overseeing all operations and the development of new innovative technologies related to mammalian protein cell expression. Prior to Lonza, Grynspan served as vice president of R&D for leading startups within the fields of human cell therapy, protein chemistry and biomedical devices.

Grynspan earned her PhD in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and completed post-doctoral research and work at the Harvard Medical School. She holds patents in the fields of autoimmune, degenerative diseases, mammalian cell development and antibody expression.

The third and final appointment made by Believer Meats was Marc Shelley’s appointment as chief legal officer. In his role, Shelley will lead legal, regulatory, IP and corporate affairs. He will also serve as corporate secretary to ensure smooth corporate governance processes at Believer Meats.

Shelley joins the Believer team from Anheuser-Busch InBev, where he spent over five years as the global director of litigation and risk management. Previously, he was a partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon for more than 10 years, seven of which he spent based in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Believer Meats is at an exciting inflection point as we enter a new phase of our commercialization in 2024,” said Gustavo Burger, chief executive officer of Believer Meats. “We are thrilled to welcome Heather, Frida and Marc to our executive leadership roster, as they bring a strategic fusion of scientific acumen and food industry expertise to our team, positioning us uniquely within the food tech and nutrition landscape. The breadth and depth of their expertise, as well as their successful track records, will help propel our company forward as we execute against our growth strategy and prepare for our imminent product launch.”