LS9 Appoints Tjerk de Ruiter as Chairman of the Board


SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Aug. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LS9, Inc., a technology leader in the development of renewable and sustainable products, today announced that the Company's Board of Directors has appointed Tjerk de Ruiter to its Board and has also elected him as its Chairman, effective immediately. As a result of Tjerk's appointment, Noubar Afeyan will be stepping down as Chairman, but will remain a member of the Board.

"Tjerk is a creative, dedicated and strategic business leader with relevant and extensive operations and commercial experience, and we could not be more pleased to welcome him as our Chairman of the Board," said Ed Dineen, President and Chief Executive Officer. "His proven track record in industrial biotechnology is a great fit with the current position of LS9. We look forward to partnering with Tjerk and the rest of the Board in leading LS9 into the commercial arena for our first wave of products. As a co-founder of LS9, we are grateful for the guidance from Noubar to lead LS9 through its incubation and initial development, and we look forward to his continued involvement on the Board."

Mr. de Ruiter spent twelve years at Danisco and spent his last five years with the Company as the Chief Executive Officer of the Genencor division and a member of the Danisco Executive Committee. At Genencor, he refocused the business on its core competences and in the process created one of the leading global industrial biotech companies. Prior to becoming CEO of the Genencor division, Mr. de Ruiter was Chief Operating Officer Cultures, Specialities and Flavours at Danisco where he was responsible for three of the high growth product areas of Danisco. Previously, Mr. de Ruiter spent eleven years with Quest International and three years with Naarden International. He received his Bachelors degree in Business Administration from the University Nijenrode in Breukelen, Netherlands and his Masters of International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management, Thunderbird. 

About LS9, Inc.

LS9, Inc. is a technology leader in the commercial development of a growing portfolio of sustainable products to meet the needs of chemical and fuel markets worldwide. Its unique technology platform enables low costs, feedstock flexibility and process simplicity across a diversity of fermentation-derived products ranging from vehicle-ready fuels to chemicals for lubricants, detergents and personal care products. In June 2010, LS9 was awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's highest environmental honor for its revolutionary technology. The company was founded in 2005 and is supported by funding from Flagship Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Chevron Technology Ventures and BlackRock. LS9 is headquartered in South San Francisco, California, and further information can be found at www.ls9.com.

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