Company Prioritizes Talent Engagement and Integration as it Continues Rapid Growth
ST. LOUIS, MO– August 13, 2019 – Benson Hill, a crop improvement company dedicated to unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants, today announced that Kelly Fischer has joined the organization as Vice President of People, leading human resources. Fischer joins Benson Hill during a time of extensive growth as the company builds out its technical capacity and operational business units to serve crop, food and ingredient companies across the agri-food value chain.
“The team at Benson Hill is driven by a shared purpose, a set of core values and a focus on operational excellence that guides decisions as the company grows,” Fischer said. “That commitment to culture creates rich opportunities for talent to thrive, and I’m excited to lead that effort as a key part of the business strategy.”
Benson Hill doubled its team in the last year and recently announced the groundbreaking of a new headquarters facility in St. Louis that will accommodate up to 300 employees and state-of-the-art research and development capabilities. The company also announced the acquisition of eMerge Genetics, an Iowa-based company positioned to deliver high-quality soybean varieties for human food and animal feed markets.
Fischer joins the company from Express Scripts, where she most recently served as Vice President of Human Resources Strategy, Planning and Communications as the company experienced a decade of extensive growth. Fischer led the transformation of the human resources division to elevate its strategic value, and she led the human resources integration of Express Scripts into Cigna. Fischer’s track record of driving talent strategy paired with operational excellence will lead Benson Hill’s talent engagement and integration efforts.
“The caliber of talent we attract and the ability to unlock that talent in a complex and fast-moving environment is key to our company’s success,” said Matt Crisp, CEO and co-founder of Benson Hill. “Kelly is a versatile, strategic leader who appreciates the qualities that have driven our progress to date and will take us to the next level as we expand our team and capabilities.”
Fischer earned her undergraduate degree from Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo. and her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She served as a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in the foster care system.
About Benson Hill
Benson Hill empowers innovators with a revolutionary crop design platform to develop healthier and more sustainable food and ingredients. Our CropOS™ platform combines machine learning and big data with genome editing and plant biology to drastically accelerate and simplify the product development process. More information can be found online at www.bensonhill.com. Follow us on Twitter at @bensonhillinc.
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Media Contact:
Melanie Bernds
(314) 605-6363
Mbernds@bensonhill.com
