Management

John Melo has 30 years of combined experience as an entrepreneur and thought leader in developing and growing technology companies and as a senior executive in the Oil & Gas industry. As President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Melo has led Amyris through successful technology development, industrial start up, product development and commercialization and a series of funding rounds, including the initial public offering. Before joining Amyris in 2007, Mr. Melo served in various senior executive positions at BP Plc (formerly British Petroleum) most recently as President of U.S. fuels operations where he successfully led a business transformation and significantly improved the financial performance. During his tenure at BP, Mr. Melo also served as Chief Information Officer of the refining and marketing segment; Senior Advisor for e-business strategy to Lord Browne, BP group chief executive; and Director of global brand development. In this last role, he helped develop the “Helios” re-branding effort. Before joining BP, Mr. Melo was with Ernst & Young. Mr. Melo currently serves on the board of directors of Renmatix Inc., serves on the board of directors of BayBio, serves on the Bio Industrial and Environmental section governing board, is a member of the Council for the Portuguese Diaspora and is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). He was formerly an appointed member to the U.S. section of the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum. When not working on the mission of making sustainable chemistry mainstream or championing the eradication of malaria, John enjoys skiing, reading and time with his family on the island of Pico in the Azores, his childhood home.

Han Kieftenbeld joined Amyris as Chief Financial Officer in March 2020 and was appointed Chief Administration Officer in July 2020. He brings over 30 years of international business leadership, finance and operations experience in food, health and nutrition end-markets. Most recently, from April 2016 to April 2019, Mr. Kieftenbeld served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Innophos Holdings, Inc., a leading international science-based producer of essential ingredients for health and nutrition, food and beverage and industrial brands. From June 2014 to July 2015, Mr. Kieftenbeld served as the Global Chief Financial Officer at AB Mauri, a worldwide leader in bakery ingredients. Prior to that, Mr. Kieftenbeld held finance and operations roles of increasing reach and impact, including serving as Global Chief Procurement Officer of Ingredion Incorporated, and Global Chief Financial Officer of National Starch. Mr. Kieftenbeld started his career at Unilever in the Netherlands. Mr. Kieftenbeld earned a joint master’s degree from New York University Stern School of Business, London School of Economics and Political Science, and the HEC School of Management, Paris. He holds a B.S. in Business Economics and Accounting from Windesheim University in the Netherlands.

Eduardo Alvarez joined Amyris as Chief Operating Officer in October 2017. He has over 30 years of global operations experience both running and advising growth companies. Previously, he served as Global Operations Strategy Leader for PwC. During his tenure, he co-led the integration of his prior company, Booz & Company, following its acquisition by PwC. In his role, he grew operations into a global practice with $1.5 billion in revenue and 4,000 employees. His assignments focused on delivering structural cost improvements while also driving sustained revenue growth. His experience also includes roles at Booz Allen Hamilton, General Electric and AT&T. Alvarez holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in computer control and manufacturing from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan. He is a board member of The Chicago Council of Global Affairs. 

Sunil Chandran leads Amyris research and development including collaborations as Chief Science Officer & Head of Research & Development. Previously, he was appointed Senior Vice President of Research and Development in 2019. With more than 15 years of experience in industrial biotechnology, he has a proven track record of bringing multiple biotech products to market. Since joining Amyris in 2006, Sunil has led multiple metabolic engineering focused projects, and was the primary architect of our world-class Automated Strain Engineering (ASE) platform. Notably in 2015, Sunil was the principal investigator who led an ambitious project that earned Amyris a $35 million Technology Investment Agreement from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Prior to joining Amyris, Sunil was a scientist at Kosan Biosciences, where he studied the ability of polyketide synthases to make novel pharmaceutical drug candidates. He has more than 20 published scientific papers, book chapters, and patents and has been an invited speaker at numerous international conferences on biotechnology. He holds a BS in chemistry from the University of Mumbai, an MS in chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Michigan State University. Sunil also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Francisco Costa joined Amyris as Chief Creative Officer in March, 2021. Prior to his arrival at Amyris, Francisco spent 13 years as Creative Director of womenswear for Calvin Klein, working directly with Calvin Klein and with other top design houses such as Gucci, Balmain Couture, and Oscar de la Renta. Mr. Costa’s first collection for the house debuted for Spring 2004.. After his departure from the brand in 2016, Costa, an avid environmentalist, returned to his home country of Brazil where he discovered local healing rituals and an untapped wealth of curative native ingredients in the Amazon rainforest.

After realizing quickly that there was an urgent need for conservation, Costa

launched Costa Brazil, an eco-forward skincare and fragrance line with products made from natural ingredients found in the Amazon rainforest. The brand works in partnership with local cooperatives and scientists, ensuring protection of both body and Earth.

Francisco Costa is engaged in numerous social causes in Brazil and around the world. He designed the logo for BrazilFoundation's #TeamRio campaign – an initiative raising awareness and funds for social projects in the city of Rio de Janeiro, at the occasion of the Olympic Games.

Design Award, presented to those who have demonstrated excellence and innovation in design.

Mr. Costa is involved with the fight against HIV/AIDS on a number of fronts. He serves on the board of the New York-based AIDS Community Research Initiative of America and is a past contributor to Designers Against AIDS, which works to raise funds and awareness about HIV/AIDS and prevention around the world. He also served as a presenting designer at the 2010 Life Ball in Vienna, Austria, the annual global fundraiser organized by AIDS LIFE, which supports various AIDS charity organizations including amfAR.

Mr. Costa works and resides in New York City.

Catherine is the President of Biossance and JVN Hair at Amyris. Catherine joined Amyris in July 2018. Prior to joining, Catherine was the Global General Manager for the Kendo portfolio of beauty brands within LVMH, including Marc Jacobs Beauty, Kat von D, Disney and Ole Henriksen Skincare. Catherine built these brands from concept to development and launched them in over 22 countries. Prior to Kendo, Catherine spent over 15 years at Sephora, predominantly responsible for Sephora Collection, Sephora’s private label brand. She led the brand re-design and product strategy that lifted Sephora Collection to the #1 brand at Sephora globally. As one of Sephora USA’s first hires and member of EllesVMH (select group of high-performing female executives within LVMH), she helped shape and grow the Sephora organization into the beauty leader it is today. In 2019, WWD named Catherine Gore their “Beauty Futurist”.

Gore holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications/Business from St. Mary’s College of California.

Caroline Hadfield joined Amyris in June 2015 as Senior Vice President, Personal Care, and led the company's B2B and B2C sales initiatives for its consumer cosmetic products through a period of significant growth and was appointed President of the company’s Biossance clean skincare brand she created and developed, as well as President of the company’s Aprinnova skincare ingredients business in July 2018. She continued the rapid growth of both divisions, developing the company’s focus on Clean Beauty, and pioneering the movement to ban toxic ingredients and introduced sustainable packaging and clinically tested formulations for maximum efficacy. In February 2019, she was appointed to lead the company’s new direct-to-consumer baby and family skincare brand, Pipette, to launch a new range of clean beauty products focused on baby, mothers and family, which has grown significantly since its launch in September 2019 and is well placed for continued rapid expansion. As an expert in originating, building and running brands she has been essential in launching and managing the growth of brands while introducing innovative new product lines and building out robust ecommerce and bricks-and-mortar sales channels. She led the Aprinnova B2B ingredients business with a keen view on new opportunities to bring product innovation and exceptional brands to Amyris through her entrepreneurial expertise and exceptional success as a high-growth brand executive. In 2020, Caroline became Chief Executive Officer of Rose Inc., a new business venture focused on Clean Beauty color cosmetics, that will launch in 2021.

Previously, Hadfield owned and operated an established retail consultancy practice specializing in the health, wellness and the personal care market sectors. Prior to that, she cofounded luxury spa interests in the United Kingdom and San Francisco where she developed branded spa products and also served as Global Product Director for Bodyshop International, where she was responsible for a complete range of globally sourced and regionally targeted products and contributed extensively to marketing strategy and packaging design. Before joining Bodyshop, Hadfield was Senior Vice President at Sephora (part of LVMH Group) and was part of the executive team that rolled out the Sephora concept across the U.S., opening 50 stores within just 18 months. Her experience also includes prior roles in merchandizing as SVP – General Merchandise Manager with Duty Free Shoppers (part of LVMH) and as Buying Controller with Burton Group (now Arcadia). Hadfield holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in textiles and management from Leeds University and has completed a Senior Executive Program at Stanford University.

Deb Millard is a strategic and accomplished executive with +20 years of brand and retail leadership experience across multiple categories. Deb joined Amyris as President, Healthy Aging at the end of 2021.  Over the past year Deb has been focused on launching Amyris first healthy aging brand with the “No Compromise” mission to bring safe, effective solutions to the peri/menopause space alongside Naomi Watts.  Deb’s retail career started as a founding member of the US Sephora team bringing Sephora to the US market. Most recently, for the past +7 years, Deb served in various roles at Amazon leading retail and marketplace strategies for Amazon Fashion categories later moving to Amazon Go as the Category Leader/General Manager for Go and new formats under that umbrella. Prior to Deb’s time at Amazon she helped Old Navy launch into the Canada Market,  returned to Sephora to lead skincare in the rollout of Sephora inside JCP.  She also held leadership roles at Williams-Sonoma, Restoration Hardware and owned her own retail and wholesale business in the SF Bay area.   

As Amyris Chief People Officer, Christine Ofori is responsible for leading and integrating all facets of Amyris’s HR goals, including people strategy and enhancement of company culture in order to deliver and enable business growth.  Christine brings many years of HR leadership experience to Amyris, including successful integration of people, technologies, processes and cultures.  Most recently, Christine served as Vice President of Human Resources at Amyris where she guided all aspects of employee development, staffing and business partnering.  Prior to that, she spent over eight years with Equinix, Inc. as Senior Director, Human Resources supporting the Americas Region.  Christine studied Business at the University of Minnesota.  

Mike Rytokoski joined Amyris as President of Aprinnova in June 2021. He brings over 30 years of international experience leading and growing businesses in Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America. Most recently Rytokoski served as Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Goodyear. Prior to that, he led Goodyear’s passenger vehicle and SUV tire business in Asia Pacific based in Shanghai driving significant expansion in both B2C and B2B.

Previously Rytokoski served as President and Chief Executive Officer for Asia and Latin America at The Clorox Company, a leading home care products manufacturer. In addition to cleaning brands, his portfolio at Clorox included Burt’s Bees natural beauty care products. He started his career at Unilever working in marketing roles of increasing responsibility in the beauty category in Europe and Latin America.

Rytokoski holds an MBA from Helsinki School of Economics and has completed executive programs at Harvard and Wharton Business Schools. He serves as chairman of the board at Secapp, a Finnish SaaS company.

Lee joined Amyris as President, Amyris International in March, 2022.  Prior to joining Amyris, Lee spent the majority of his career at Walmart where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer, Walmart Canada, after holding a number of global leadership roles with the company, including Chief Merchandising Officer with Walmart Japan and Vice President of Merchandising for the International Division.

With over 25 years of retail experience spanning Europe, Asia and North America, Lee has a proven track record of delivering results within highly competitive and innovative retail markets. He has a wealth of experience in operational and C-Suite roles across supply chain, store operations, and commercial functions with full end to end accountability.

Annie Tsong was appointed Chief Strategy and Product Officer in 2021 and is responsible for developing Amyris’ extensive pipeline of products and ingredients. She maintains the strategic portfolio by identifying the intersection between market needs and areas where Amyris’ technology offers new value.

A long-time Amyris veteran, Annie joined Amyris in 2008 in the Research and Development division, where she was central in establishing the company’s foundational microbial production platform. Subsequently, she established a Program Management Office which brought Amyris’ highest priority molecules to market by integrating activity across capabilities from upstream R&D to commercialization. Most recently, Annie turned her attention to Product Innovation, where her team established an ingredient development pipeline focused on fast-to-market opportunities that support Amyris’ strategic objectives. Annie has authored multiple landmark scientific publications in the fields of metabolic engineering and evolution of transcriptional regulation. She is an inventor on many key patents in Amyris’ IP portfolio, and a frequent speaker at international scientific conferences.

Annie holds an AB in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard University, a Ph.D. in genetics from University of California, San Francisco, and was a Miller Fellow at University of California, Berkeley.

Sola brings 17 years of Brand Marketing and Communications experience in travel, design, and finance to Amyris. She has a track record of advancing craft, innovation, and culture primarily within companies at the forefront of radically transforming societal and cultural norms. 

Most recently, she served as a Director of Brand Strategy for Robinhood instituting the brand foundations needed for the company to make finance more accessible to a new generation of investors. Prior to this, she was the Head of Airbnb’s Design Brand Marketing and Communications Group, a team focused on forging the company’s creative identity at its infancy, building its global design community, and scaling its creative and learning culture. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in establishing design as a strategic differentiator for the company, a key contributing factor to its successful IPO in 2020. She holds a B.A. in Communications and Journalism from the University of Virginia Tech. She also serves as an advisor to the Institute of Black Imagination.

Teresa joined Amyris February 2017 and led the launch of Biossance at Sephora. She drove rapid growth for the brand as the VP of Marketing and Brand Strategy from 2017 to 2020. She became VP/GM of JVN in 2021 and led the launch of the brand from concept to inception in a record-breaking 9 months. Within its first year, JVN is already one of the leading haircare brands in North America.

Prior to Amyris, Teresa led Digital and Brand Marketing at ipsy and Retention Marketing at Sephora. She  has a dual BA in Business Administration and Psychology with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management from Northwestern University. 

Mike joined Amyris as Vice President and General Manager of Pipette in July 2022. He prides himself on being a full-stack marketer and GM with a passion for building purpose-driven lifestyle brands. Over the last 15+ years, he has successfully created and accelerated business strategies and brand building efforts for The Honest Company, Red Bull, Planters, and Oscar Mayer with broad oversight touching all areas of the marketing mix. Prior to joining Amyris, Mike oversaw the personal care and household categories at The Honest Company where he led explosive omni-channel growth culminating in the company's Initial Public Offering (IPO). Mike holds an MBA from The Ohio State University as well as a B.S. in Consumer Science from the University of Wisconsin. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, and is a proud father of two young daughters. #girldad