Believer Meats expands leadership team as it prepares for next phase of commercialization

The cultivated meat company, Believer Meats, has announced three new executive leadership appointments: Heather Hudson as Chief Product & Growth Officer; Frida Grynspan as Chief Science Officer; and Marc Shelley as Chief Legal Officer. The trio of veterans bring extensive and complementary experience to the Believer Meats executive leadership team as the company continues to grow.

“Believer Meats is at an exciting inflection point as we enter a new phase of our commercialization in 2024,” said Gustavo Burger, CEO of Believer Meats. “We are thrilled to welcome Heather, Frida, and Marc to our executive leadership roster, as they bring a strategic fusion of scientific acumen and food industry expertise to our team, positioning us uniquely within the food tech and nutrition landscape. The breadth and depth of their expertise, as well as their successful track records, will help propel our company forward as we execute against our growth strategy and prepare for our imminent product launch.”

Heather Hudson (left in main image) brings more than two decades of experience driving innovation in Fortune 500 companies and startups within the food, food-tech, and ag-tech industries. Her tenure at Kraft Heinz, Bumble Bee Foods, and Pairwise exemplifies her ability to impactfully lead all facets of food science, product development, sales, and marketing in her new role. Based in North Carolina, near Believer Meats’ forthcoming commercial-scale facility in Wilson, North Carolina. Hudson will play a pivotal role in the company’s expansion. Her extensive experience and educational background in Nutrition (BS), Food Science (PhD), and Business (MBA) uniquely position her to lead Believer Meats’ growth agenda, particularly in steering the development of products that meet and exceed customers’ expectations. Elevating Hudson to this new leadership role underscores Believer Meats’ commitment to innovation and the pivotal role great products have in driving commercial success in the cultivated meat industry.

Frida Grynspan, PhD (middle in image), steps into the role of Chief Science Officer. Grynspan has more than two decades of experience in biotech and life sciences across academia, research, and the private sector. Most recently, Grynspan served as the head of Lonza’s Collaborative Innovation Center in Haifa, Israel, overseeing all operations and the development of new innovative technologies related to mammalian protein cell expression. Prior to Lonza, Grynspan’s career has covered a breadth of disciplinary fields as VP of R&D of leading startups, including human cell therapy, protein chemistry and biomedical devices. Grynspan earned her PhD in Chemistry & Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and completed post-doctoral research and work as an instructor and biochemist at the Harvard Medical School. Grynspan has authored numerous scientific papers and holds several patents in the fields of autoimmune, degenerative diseases, mammalian cell development and antibody expression.

Marc Shelley joins as Chief Legal Officer after serving at Anheuser-Busch InBev, where he spent over five years as the Global Director of Litigation & Risk Management leading litigation, intellectual property, employment law, and crisis management. Prior to his time at Anheuser-Busch InBev, Shelley was a partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon, where he spent over a decade, including seven years based in Geneva, Switzerland. Shelley’s diverse background and deep understanding of the legal landscape will be instrumental in his role as Chief Legal Officer, in which he will lead legal, regulatory, IP, and corporate affairs. Additionally, he will serve as corporate secretary, ensuring smooth corporate governance processes.

Hudson, Grynspan and Shelley will assume their new positions effective immediately.