Chromatin, Inc. Appoints Henry Hirvela as Chief Financial Officer

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Chromatin, Inc., a supplier of renewable biomass feedstocks for renewable energy and chemical producers, today announced that Henry Hirvela is joining its executive team as Chief Financial Officer. He has held executive management positions with a number of public and privately held companies undergoing rapid growth in dynamic industries.

“His strong financial skills and administrative experience will help us build our corporate infrastructure and pursue the significant market opportunities for renewable bioenergy feedstocks.”

“Henry has an outstanding record of leadership in growth-stage companies, including those in the energy sector,” said CEO Daphne Preuss. “His strong financial skills and administrative experience will help us build our corporate infrastructure and pursue the significant market opportunities for renewable bioenergy feedstocks.”

The appointment comes after Chromatin this month announced completion of a $10-million first closing of its Series D financing round that added two strategic investors and increased the investments by three venture capital investors who participated in earlier financings. The company recently announced the first production-scale tests in California of a renewable energy field crop as a fuel for electric-generating plants.

Hirvela will oversee all finance and accounting activities and provide strategic insights and help to strengthen the company’s internal capabilities as it leverages its technology leadership and its unique initiatives to develop biomass supply chains for the renewable power, chemical, and energy producers.

“I am excited to join Chromatin as its business gathers momentum and as it begins building the scale to capitalize on its large growth opportunities,” said Hirvela. “Chromatin’s team has accumulated assets and capabilities that uniquely position the company to be the industry leader, and I’m looking forward to working with this exceptional group of colleagues.”

Most recently, Hirvela served as the CFO of TPI composites, a privately held manufacturer of composite wind turbine blades, and his responsibilities included managing the company’s IPO preparation activities. Hirvela also gained significant experience in M&A, accounting, finance, corporate development and general management while serving as CFO and in senior management positions with businesses in the renewable energy, high-tech manufacturing, environmental services and energy industries, including units of Republic Services and Duke Energy.

Hirvela earned a bachelor’s degree from United States International University in San Diego and an MBA degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

About Chromatin:

Chromatin, Inc. is developing renewable energy-crop feedstocks for power, fuel and chemical producers. It also is developing expertise in the supply chains to serve energy fuel and chemical producers, and is serving growers by developing high-value next-generation sorghum seeds using its proprietary crop-breeding technology and biotechnology programs. The company licenses its innovative gene-stacking technologies to support the crop-breeding programs of leading agriculture companies, and it applies these technology platforms to its subsidiary, Sorghum Partners LLC, which produces and markets hybrid sorghum seeds to growers in the US and more than 20 other countries. Chromatin is privately owned and based in Chicago. For additional information, please visit www.chromatininc.com.