St. Louis, Mo.-based crop improvement company Benson Hill Biosystems has hired food industry veteran Chris Wilkins as chief operating officer.
Wilkins, according to a news release, will work with grocery retailers and food/ingredient companies in a business development role.
Previously, Wilkins was at Treehouse Foods for three years in several executive roles. He also worked at ConAgra for 10 years and had roles at the Pillsbury Co. and Land O’ Lakes Inc., according to the release.
Benson Hill’s crop improvement technology has three business units:
- Seeds and Traits: developing improved seeds and crops;
- Ingredients: serving consumer packaged goods and food companies with improved ingredients; and
- Fresh: serving grocery retail and food companies with proprietary fresh produce.
“I am thrilled to join Benson Hill to create novel innovation opportunities across the food sector,” Wilkins said in the release. “Beyond its outstanding technology, the company’s mission of empowering partners of all sizes up and down the value chain makes it stand out as a special opportunity.”
