Debra Frimerman, Devang Shah and Wendy Watkins join the company as it transforms agriculture and upends the $190B nitrogen market
September 26, 2023 03:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time
BERKELEY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Pivot Bio, Inc., a sustainable agriculture company delivering farmers patented crop nutrition technologies that harness the power of nature to reliably and productively grow the food the world needs, has named Debra Frimerman Chief Business Development Officer and Wendy Watkins Chief Communications Officer, effective immediately. Additionally, Devang Shah was named General Counsel in March 2023. Frimerman, Watkins, and Shah join Pivot Bio as the company transforms agriculture with its patented crop nutrition innovation and upends the $190B nitrogen market. All serve on the company’s leadership team, reporting to Pivot Bio CEO Chris Abbott.
“As Pivot Bio continues to scale, we are adding exceptional talent to our team to further accelerate momentum and expand our long-term sustainable growth potential,” said Chris Abbott, Pivot Bio CEO. “The Pivot Bio team is innovating in ways that are changing global agriculture practices for the better, and I am looking forward to working alongside Debra, Wendy, Devang and the entire team to fulfill our vision of eliminating the need for synthetic fertilizer.”
Debra Frimerman, an experienced attorney and advisor in agriculture and sustainability, brings a proven track record of evaluating, negotiating, and completing significant and complex business transactions to this newly created role at Pivot Bio. Debra will identify new revenue streams, licensing opportunities and strategic partnerships to support and fuel Pivot Bio’s growth and success. Most recently, Debra served as General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer at Calyxt, where she led legal, licensing, intellectual property, risk, and compliance. Before joining Calyxt, she was Associate General Counsel for Syngenta and head of legal for Syngenta’s U.S. seeds business. She started her career as a corporate attorney at Stoel Rives LLP and Lindquist & Vennum PLLP.
“Pivot Bio is poised to change the way farmers across the globe manage nitrogen. The company is at an inflection point, having crossed important acreage and revenue milestones,” said Debra Frimerman, Pivot Bio Chief Business Development Officer. “I am thrilled to be joining the Pivot Bio team as we embark on the next phase of commercialization to bring this game-changing technology to more farmers.”
Wendy Watkins is an accomplished corporate affairs leader and will oversee all aspects of the company’s communications, global impact and public affairs to grow its reputation as a company working to harness the power of nature to reliably and productively grow the food the world needs. Wendy joins Pivot Bio from Fortune 500 global branded food company Hormel Foods, where she was Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer and helped shape the company’s reputation as one of the most admired in the food industry. Previously, Wendy served for 15 years as Vice President of Corporate Communications for Delaware North, one of the world’s largest privately held companies. Prior to Delaware North, she held communications leadership roles with the Marriott family of companies and the real estate subsidiary of Empire of America. Wendy began her career at LaNier Associates, a public relations and advertising agency.
“Pivot Bio is a dynamic company and a clear thought leader in sustainable agriculture,” said Wendy Watkins, Pivot Bio Chief Communications Officer. “I’m looking forward to being part of a company that is driving positive change in agriculture and making a lasting impact on our planet. Effective communication plays a crucial role in shaping the world for the better, and I am eager to work with the talented team at Pivot Bio to amplify the message of sustainability, innovation and agricultural transformation.”
Devang Shah, Pivot Bio General Counsel, has broad legal experience across brand protection, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, securities, stock administration, corporate governance, litigation, policy and taking companies public. Devang has acted as General Counsel for several public companies, most recently eCommerce giant Wish, gaming company Zynga, Inc., and others.
“I am proud to be a part of a company that is reducing dependence on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer to help growers increase profitability, predictability, and sustainability,” said Devang Shah, Pivot Bio General Counsel. “Pivot Bio has a strong team and innovative technology that will positively impact agriculture and the planet.”
“Pivot Bio is a breakthrough innovation in agriculture and among the industry’s most promising climate solutions,” said Abbott. “We have much growth and opportunity ahead of us as we build from a strong foundation. Our products were used by farmers on over 5 million acres, and we crossed the $100 million revenue threshold in 2023 – an unprecedented rate of adoption for new crop nutrition technology.”
About Pivot Bio
Founded in 2011, Pivot Bio is a sustainable agriculture company delivering 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. Synthetic nitrogen is one of agriculture’s leading contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. Our products are a breakthrough innovation and among the industry’s most promising climate solutions because they deliver nitrogen to plants without the negative impacts of synthetic fertilizer. Our nitrogen is weatherproof, safer to handle, does not leach or contribute to nitrous oxide pollution. By making this possible for the first time at scale, Pivot Bio is upending the 190 billion USD nitrogen market. In our fourth consecutive year of growth, our revenue surpassed 100 million USD in FY2023. For more information, visit PivotBio.com.
