Benson Hill, a food tech company unlocking nature's genetic diversity with its cutting-edge food innovation engine, announced two new appointments to the company's leadership team and board of directors.
David Lee, who has served in leadership positions at Impossible Foods, AppHarvest, Zynga, Del Monte Foods and Best Buy, has joined the Benson Hill Board as an independent director and will chair the audit and risk committee. In addition, Benson Hill announced the appointment of veteran finance executive DeAnn Brunts as a member of the company's board and chief financial officer. Brunts will report to Benson Hill chief executive officer Matt Crisp and serve on the company's executive leadership team.
With more than 25 years of experience across retail and consumer industries, Lee offers a successful track record of leading business transformations and enhancing organizational effectiveness. Most recently, he joined leading AgTech company, AppHarvest, as president and member of the board. Previously, Lee served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Impossible Foods. He received his MBA from the University of Chicago and a BA from Harvard College.
Brunts, a seasoned expert in risk management and governance, brings to Benson Hill several decades of experience in financial, operational and executive leadership roles in both public and private companies. Prior to joining Benson Hill, she served in numerous chief financial officer and business unit leader roles in the retail, food, consumer goods, manufacturing, distribution and service industries. She was also a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), where she led various initiatives related to IPOs and M&A. She currently serves on the Board of publicly-traded B&G Foods. DeAnn earned an MBA in finance and operations management from The Wharton School and a BSBA in accounting from the University of Missouri in St. Louis.