Punter takes on the role of non-exec chair at ambitious soil-solutions outfit
Former Total Produce chairman Denis Punter has been appointed non-executive chair at SoilPoint Humic Co.
The company which develops soil solutions for sustainably intensive farming, also announced the appointment of Susan Lowther as chief financial officer and executive director, as it accelerates plans to scale the business.
SoilPoint recently launched major initiatives in the UK, Spain and Costa Rica to demonstrate the effectiveness of its sustainable soil solution, Soil Booster, in restoring depleted soils, increasing crop yields and reducing farmers’ net input costs.
As chairman of Total Produce, Punter helped build the company to become the UK’s largest fresh produce business with annual sales of $850mn. Alongside chairing the UK businesses, he supported Total’s development in the US, expanding its business in North America from launch to over $2bn in annual revenue.
He subsequently worked on the merger of Total Produce with Dole, which led to Dole’s IPO in North America resulting in the creation of Dole plc. With a turnover of $10bn, Dole is the largest fresh produce company in the world.
Lowther, meanwhile, brings extensive experience of growing companies and executing M&A transactions. Her public company experience includes global biopharmaceutical group Arecor Therapeutics plc, neuroscience imaging and biomarker analytics company IXICO, and healthcare diagnostics business Lab21. She is an independent non-executive director and chair of the Audit & Risk Committee of BiVictrix Therapeutics.
SoilPoint said that the new appointments will help the company, led by CEO Alan Forrester, become a major name in the global agricultural industry, as it expands the global distribution and deployment of SoilPoint’s Soil Booster.
Punter said: “There is a real opportunity to transform global food production as demand for more sustainable farming practices grows. SoilPoint’s innovative solutions have an immense potential to drive meaningful change to help farmers restore depleted topsoil, support crop yields, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I’m excited to have the opportunity to help the company expand its global presence.”
