Press releases

Michelle Jou

Michelle Jou joined the Supervisory Board of the Company in 2020. She has over 20 years of professional experience in the chemical industry in Asia and Europe, where she has served in a variety of positions in sales, marketing and supply chain management. In 2003, Michelle Jou joined Covestro (formerly Bayer MaterialScience) in the company’s central departments in Shanghai. She later took on the role of VP of the Polycarbonates Business Unit in China and Hong Kong. In 2012 Mrs. Jou was named Senior VP of Commercial Operations in the Asia region. In 2016, she became President of Covestro’s global Polycarbonates Segment, headquartered in Shanghai.

Mrs. Michelle B.B. Jou (1969) holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in French from Fu-Jen University (Taiwan) and an MBA from the EMLYON Business School (France).

In line with the Supervisory Board profile, Mrs. Jou adds the following desired specific knowledge and experience:

• International Executive Experience, with a specialist knowledge of the Asian region which represents major growth markets for Avantium’s renewable materials and chemicals;
• Extensive commercial experience from the chemicals and plastics industries

Mrs. Jou has extensive and relevant experience by education and through the various roles she holds and has held at Covestro, a world-leading supplier of polymer materials.

She is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, French and English.

Bart Welten

Chief Financial Officer

Mr Welten will bring 30 years in finance to Avantium and has extensive experience in the chemical and life-sciences industries. He most recently served as the CFO of Centrient Pharmaceuticals (formerly the joint-venture of DSM and Sinochem) in Singapore. Before he left Centrient, he managed the sale of the company to Bain Capital.  Prior to this, Mr Welten held the position of CFO of DSM Resins and DSM Anti-Infectives. He holds a law degree from Leiden University (Netherlands) and an MBA from Boston College (USA).

Edwin Moses

Chair

Edwin Moses (chairman) joined the Supervisory Board of the Company in December 2019.

Edwin Moses is a serial entrepreneur and value creator in European life science companies. He has expertise in high value service provision to the pharmaceutical industry and in drug discovery and development. His primary focus is on high growth businesses and change management. Mr. Moses has 25 years of Board level experience in more than 10 companies, mostly as Chairman.

Edwin Moses is Chairman of the Supervisory Board and member of the Audit Committee.