Solynta announced today that its management board has unanimously decided to appoint Edwin van der Vossen as its new director of research & development. Van der Vossen will join Solynta as of March 1, 2020, and will be succeeding the current Director Pim Lindhout as of May 1, 2020.
Van der Vossen brings over 20 years of R&D experience in plant sciences. Over the last 11 years he was part of the management team of the crop innovation company KeyGene, heading the Crop Innovation Unit within the company. Prior to joining Keygene he served in a number of roles at Wageningen University & Research. Van der Vossen holds a PhD in Molecular Plant Sciences from Leiden University and a MSc in Plant Breeding from Wageningen University.
Lindhout, Solynta’s current director of R&D, has decided to step back from his current position given his upcoming retirement at some point in the future. He will transition to an expert, advisor and coaching capacity within the R&D team. This change continues Lindhout’s contribution to the development of hybrid potato by Solynta in the years to come.
Lindhout expresses excitement: “Edwin will give an impulse to Solynta’s R&D leadership combined with a continuation of excellence. I am thrilled with Edwin joining Solynta and am looking forward to working alongside him and the team.”
“I see this as a great opportunity to contributing to potentially the biggest innovation in the breeding of one of the world’s most important food crops,” says van der Vossen. “I am looking forward to working with this talented team and hope to contribute to steering the company towards the next phase of its existence, namely the accelerated and steady development of improved and high yielding potato hybrids.”
Hein Kruyt, Solynta’s CEO stated: “I am very happy with Edwin joining us. His deep understanding of genomics and data-driven science and proven ability to apply this to crop improvements combined with his interpersonal skills make me even more excited about Solynta’s future.”
