Ming S. Zhao
Ming has a natural gift for business and discovery. Prior to founding Proven, she was the head of business development at NerdWallet, a private equity investor at Bain Capital and a strategy consultant with the Boston Consulting Group. She holds an MBA degree from Harvard Business School and is certified in cosmetic formulation.
Ming has lived and worked in numerous regions around the world, including China, India, Austria, Rwanda, Hong Kong and the United States, and has absorbed the beauty and wellness wisdom from her wanderings. She is also a 3rd generation entrepreneur - her grandfather became a baker/ entrepreneur after trekking 1200 miles on foot to escape a famine. Her father, similarly, made the journey to America from China to expand his computer literacy school, in the process immigrating the family and the then 12-year-old Ming to the US.
Daniela Pinto
Mark Offerhaus
Mark Offerhaus is founder and CEO of Dutch biotech Micreos. The company's endolysin technology, marketed under the Gladskin brand, enables targeted killing of unwanted bacteria while preserving the microbiome.
Before starting Micreos, Mark worked at ING for over ten years, including 5 years in Japan.
Chris Gummer
After 21 years as a senior technologist with Procter & Gamble Research & Development, Chris is now working for his own consultancy (Cider Solutions).
He has extensive experience in copy claim development and claim substantiation with some of the world’s leading consumer brands. His experience ranges from fundamental research, hands-on development of data and methods, through to copy development and product credentialing. Importantly, he has extensive experience in working with the Clearcast (formerly BACC) and the ASA from the position of an advertiser. He is a widely published and quoted author.
Nigel Lawmon
Nigel Lawmon joined Feelunique as Commercial Director in 2015, and now has over 22 years retail experience including department store, travel retail and speciality retail, including 17+ years in the beauty industry.
Nigel’s expertise quickly enhanced Feelunique’s business commercially and enhanced the brand offering, that has significantly increased its sales.
Prior to joining Feelunique Nigel was Managing Director of The Fragrance Shop and has previously held leadership roles at Debenhams and Alpha Retail/World Duty Free.
Ingmar Claes, PhD
Ingmar studied bioscience engineering at the University of Leuven, graduated in 2007 and obtained a PhD in cell and gene technology in 2011. He has an expertise in the field of probiotics, its molecular mechanisms and the topical application of these beneficial bacteria to restore the human microbiome. As bioengineer and microbiologist, he feels that it is important to translate this scientific research into daily products from which people at home and the community can benefit.
In the context of YUN, he is closely working together with the Department of Bioscience Engineering of the University of Antwerp, the Lab of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology of prof. Sarah Lebeer, the Lab of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy of prof. Filip Kiekens, prof. dr. Julien Lambert (dermatology) and dr. Gilbert Donders (gynaecology, the University Hospital of Antwerp).
He has experience with leadership in multiple R&D projects and he held a managing role in YUN’s R&D projects of the Flemish Institute for the Promotion of Scientific and Technological Research in Industry (VLAIO). YUN’s current range of probiotic products and therapies were developed under his supervision.
Audrey Gueniche Ph.D
Audrey GUENICHE obtained her Pharmacist degree and her PhD degree in skin biology more than 23 years ago. She is an expert on immunology and microbiology. Her main expertise is on skin topical treatment and food supplement for skin and hair health, especially using probiotics, natural extract and bacterial extracts. She is currently a senior clinical expert in LOREAL RESEARCH. She has a complete experience from the actives through vitro evaluations/ preclinical studies to clinical trials. Her passion is to always reinvent evaluation and find new fields of area in term of actives to promote.
She has published over 110 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 5 chapters in books, 2 specials issues in journal where she was the invited editor. She presented in over 80 international congresses and additionally she was personally invited to give more than 35 keynote lectures.
Catherine O'Neill
Justine Mannering
Steven Adams
Steve holds the position of Research and Technology Director and has responsibility for all of Plant Impact’s R&D activities, focused on crop enhancement to create foliar spray and seed treatment products that growers can rely on to increase the yield and quality of their crops. With its agricultural business expertise Plant Impact find efficient, cost effective ways to offer their solutions to growers, worldwide.
Steve has been with the company for 8 years. Prior to joining Plant Impact he was an academic and held the position of Principle Investigator and Protected Crops Commodity Specialist at Warwick HRI, University of Warwick (formerly Horticulture Research International), where he led a team focusing on the physiology of glasshouse crops. He has as a degree in Horticulture and a PhD from the University of Reading.