to feed the world’s growing population efficiently, safely and sustainably.
At moa, we’re working hard to solve an urgent global problem with new mode of action herbicides that:
respect human and environmental health
support farmers with better products to face the food supply challenge safely, consistently and efficiently
advance the industry with a collaborative approach to sustainable integrated weed management
Our highly experienced team comes from across industry, science, technology and academia to drive innovation.
Virginia is a multidisciplinary leader commercializing sustainable solutions for energy, water and agriculture. She was the Chief Growth Officer at soil-health innovator Novihum Technologies following roles at the Sahara Forest Project and as a science policy fellow in the U.S. Senate. She studied astrophysics at MIT and completed her PhD as a Marshall Scholar at the University of Cambridge.
Shuji has wide experience spanning Agri-Tech, Biotech and Pharma sectors: Syngenta, GSK, Pfizer, P&G and Astex. He has held various leadership roles in R&D and authored many patents and scientific papers. Originally from Japan, Shuji came to the UK to read chemistry and complete his DPhil at the University of Oxford.
Cathy has wide experience in operational and strategic leadership, scientific project management, and health and safety. She has worked in Agrochemical, Biotech and Pharma sectors, and co-founded and established from the ground up a proteomics-based CRO. She holds an MBiochem and a DPhil in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford.
Rob is an experienced biotech CFO, having worked in the same role at Silence Therapeutics, BenevolentAI, Pharnext and as CFO and interim CEO at Aptamer Group. He has extensive experience of helping biotech companies raise funding, both through equity funding and industry collaborations. Rob also has a PhD in Biochemistry and is a Chartered Accountant.
Apostolos joined Moa from Oerth Bio where he was SVP, responsible for strategy and business development. Prior to this he was Senior Principal at the Flagship Pioneering VC and CEO for Bayer Crop Science both in Greece. He spent 15 years mainly in M&A and business development at the Bayer Crop Science HQ in Monheim, Germany and at Syngenta’s HQ in Basel, Switzerland where he also had roles in global marketing & lifecycle management.
.jpg)
With over 22 years’ industry experience, Xavier has established a proven track record in early-stage discovery and development that spans many therapeutic fields. Xavier is a biochemist with extensive knowledge in research and development gained working in the pharmaceutical industry. He has held senior positions for companies including Mission Therapeutics (cofounder), CamPhos Therapeutics (cofounder),Dunad Therapeutics, Sanofi-Synthelabo,Hybrigenics and KuDOS Pharma/ AstraZeneca. Xavier completed his PhD studies in Biochemistry in Strasbourg before undertaking Post-Doctoral research at Columbia University, New York.
We’re actively supported by a world-class advisory board from industry and top global institutions.
Liam is a Senior Group Leader at the Gregor Mendel Institute, Queen’s Trustee at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Emeritus Fellow of Magdalen College Oxford. He was Prof. of Botany and Head of Plant Sciences at Oxford when he co-founded moa. His research uses genetics to understand the evolution of mechanisms that control plant growth and development and the evolution of mechanisms of herbicide resistance. In 2014, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in recognition of his contributions to science.
Hartmut is an agricultural economist with over 30 years’ experience in global strategic and operational roles. This includes serving as Bayer Crop Science’s CEO for Canada, Global Head of Cereals, Head of Fungicides and, most recently as SVP for Portfolio- and Asset Management for the Crop Protection Portfolio of Bayer AG, overseeing $13 billion in worldwide sales. Alongside his role at Moa, Hartmut is a senior adviser to Boston Consulting Group.
Ken an expert on herbicides and their modes of action. Until recently with Bayer CropScience and previously its legacy companies, he started his career after obtaining a PhD in herbicide mode of action at the University of Bath. Ken also worked at the UK Weed Research Organisation and at the former Trent Polytechnic. He is a trustee director at the Perry Foundation.
Franck is professor of weed science at Colorado State University, USA, specialising in functional genomics. Before joining the university in 2016, he had a 20-year career in the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Franck has published widely on herbicide mode of action and weed resistance, with over 130 peer-reviewed scientific papers to his name.
David is Chair of the Knowledge Transfer Network and Agrimetrics; a Director of Tropic Biosciences and UKI2S; and a Trustee of the John Innes Foundation. He was Head of R&D in Syngenta until 2009, then a non-Executive Director until 2017. David has a degree in Chemistry, and a D.Phil from Oxford University.
John is an expert in the development and registration of crop protection products. He was Head of Global Regulatory Affairs for Syngenta (based in Basel, Switzerland) and more recently for Arysta LifeScience (now UPL). In addition to dealing with regulatory authorities around the world, John has also been involved in farmer education and training.
Clément is a developmental geneticist and cellular biologist. Acting as Research Fellow and later CSO, he directed the biological research programme from incorporation to 2021, and contributed to the conception of Moa’s discovery platforms. Prior to this, Clement was awarded a PhD from Oxford for his discovery of genes that control polar growth, and recognised as Oxford Innovation Champion for his entrepreneurial and research translation achievements.
Cassie is an Investment Director at Parkwalk Advisors and specialises in Life Sciences. She is experienced in investment, strategy, operations, and governance. Previously, Cassie was an Investor at IP Group Plc and worked for a start-up that took drugs developed during her PhD into Phase II clinical trials.
We’re backed by investors funding the future of agriculture.
We’re guided by our values.
We see possibilities where others might not because we’re driven by insight, action and the conviction that we can change things for the better.
We learn from - but aren’t inhibited by - the way things have been done. We consistently push the boundaries and challenge the status quo.
Our roots are multi-disciplinary. Both inside the company and out, we believe that diversity, curiosity and collaboration are the most effective ways to unlock collective potential and to solve complex problems.
We care deeply about the impact we have on the world. We listen carefully, we speak up and we keep each other honest.
We’re always growing our diverse team.
If you’re interested in joining us, please send a CV and cover letter to recruitment@moa-technology.com
