The panel of top CPG and entrepreneurial executives will drive adoption of sustainable biosurfactant ingredients in product formulations
SOLON, Ohio (August 25, 2021) A new advisory board of leading CPG executives and entrepreneurs has been formalized to accelerate the use of sustainable biosurfactant ingredients in product formulations. The entrepreneurial and industry veterans were brought together by the leadership team at Locus Performance Ingredients (Locus PI), a globally recognized startup that develops sophorolipids (glycolipids) with a nearly net-zero carbon footprint proven to replace and outperform surfactants in household, personal care and industrial applications.
The newly developed ingredient advisory board includes seasoned industry experts Kevin Gallagher, Reinhold Brand and Tom Vetrano—each with decades of experience. The members were attracted to join the board by the potential biosurfactants have in solving top formulation challenges, including minimizing carbon footprints, reducing toxicity and biodegradability issues, simplifying product labels and eliminating palm oil and 1,4-dioxane concerns. Their goal is to drive adoption of biosurfactant ingredients for cleaner, more sustainable and more economical product formulations.
“The ability to develop high-performing, 100% bio-based ingredients through fermentation is finally a reality thanks to Locus PI,” Kevin Gallagher said. “This is a transformational step forward in improving the sustainability of everyday products by using biology instead of chemistry.
Dr. Brand added, “We’re all proud to be part of an advisory board that can accelerate the use of these environmentally and ESG-friendly biosurfactant ingredients made using sustainable processes.”
Tim Staub, CEO of Locus Performance Ingredients said, “The caliber of talent and experience this board has will provide the guidance and support needed to transform Locus PI into the global leader in low-carbon biosurfactants for CPG and industrial applications.”
About the Ingredient Advisory Board Members
Kevin Gallagher joins the board after a nearly four-decade career with Croda International Plc—beginning as a formulation chemist and retiring as the first president of Croda’s global personal care & actives. He is a Fellow of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, co-author of seven patents and has held board positions for the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), American Cleaning Institute (ACI), New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and Rutgers University. He has received multiple extinguished honors for his work, including the In-Cosmetics Lifetime Achievement Award and the ICIS Industry Contribution Award at the World Surfactant Congress.
Reinhold Brand is the retired president of Evonik Goldschmidt Corporation, with a 37-year career in senior executives roles and extensive international experience in general management of specialty chemicals. He served for 10 years on the board of the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) before joining the New Richmond Ventures (NRV) after retirement. He currently has board positions with the Virginia Manufacturers Association and Virginia Commonwealth University Intellectual Property Foundation.
Tom Vetrano is the former president and managing director of Ramboll Environ, Inc., one of the largest environmental engineering companies. He previously held leadership roles including chief operating officer for Environ International Corporation, and adviser to large private equity and Fortune 500 companies. He is also a board member for Locus Fermentation Solutions, the accelerator company for Locus PI.
The biosurfactant ingredient advisory board will be tasked with coming together to take biosurfactant ingredient innovation to the next level through strategic guidance on key functions—from a scientific R&D to operations and go-to market strategy. For more information or to join the biosurfactant discussion, visit LocusPI.com.
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About Locus Performance Ingredients®
Locus Performance Ingredients® (Locus PI) is an award-winning green tech company dedicated to developing environmentally friendly biosurfactant solutions that replace legacy surfactants and eliminate regulatory challenges in the CPG market. Using advanced fermentation technology, the team creates performance-driven, sustainable ingredients that are USDA certified as 100% biobased, GMO-free, with no palm oil, Proposition 65, EO, formaldehyde or other trace chemicals. Each ingredient is tailored for use in a multitude of personal care, household and industrial applications, with lower usage rates, better performance and a net-zero carbon footprint. Locus PI gets its core scientific capabilities from its parent company, Locus Fermentation Solutions (Locus FS), an Ohio-based, globally recognized biosurfactant company. For more information, visit LocusPI.com.