Green Jobs: Biofuel Execs, Plus Better Place, Vivint

There is not a lot of job security when you’re the CEO of a green fuel or next-gen transportation startup.

Eric Wesoff January 25, 2013

Eric Wesoff

Editor-at-Large
Greentech Media

Eric Wesoff is Editor-at-Large at Greentech Media. Prior to joining GTM, Eric Wesoff founded Sage Marketing Partners in 2000 to provide sales and marketing-consulting services to venture-capital firms and their portfolio companies in the alternative energy and telecommunications sectors. Mr. Wesoff has become a well-known, respected authority and speaker in these fields.

His expertise covers solar power, fuel cells, biofuels and advanced batteries. His strengths are in market research and analysis, business development and due diligence for investors. He frequently consults for energy startups and Silicon Valley's premier venture capitalists.

Tjerk de Ruiter, the former CEO of Genencor, has been named President and CEO of LS9, a renewable chemicals and fuel startup funded by Flagship Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Chevron Technology Ventures, and BlackRock. De Ruiter, the current chairman, replaces Ed Dineen, CEO since December 2010, who will remain a member of LS9's Board. We'll be reporting on the status of LS9 in the coming days.

Edeniq, a biomaterials and sustainable fuels startup working with cellulosic ethanol, named Dr. Dan Michalopoulos VP of Technology. Edeniq is funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Flint Hills Resources Renewables, The Westly Group and Cyrus Capital.

Novozymes announced that Peder Holk Nielsen will soon succeed Steen Riisgaard in the role of CEO. Novozymes holds a 47 percent market share of the world market for industrial enzymes, according to the firm.

Vivint Solar appointed its first CTO, Dan Rapp. Vivint is a home automation firm, recently acquired by Blackstone for $2 billion. The firm is moving into residential solar system sales and leasing.

Better Place is switching out its new CEO. A few months after replacing founder and CEO Shai Agassi, Evan Thornley is stepping down as boss of the ambitious vehicle battery-swap startup and was wished the best of luck in his future endeavors by the board. Idan Ofer, Chairman of the Board, will serve as Executive Chairman, and Alan Gelman, current CFO, will manage operations.