Local Bounti Corp., a U.S. indoor agriculture company, has added Kathleen Valiasek and Mark Nelson to its leadership team. Biotech veteran Valiasek has assumed the role of CFO, and food industry innovator Nelson has joined the company’s board of directors.
As Local Bounti’s CFO, Valiasek will help advance the company’s plan to more than double the size of its flagship Bitterroot facility in Hamilton, Montana, and to break ground on several facilities in the U.S. before the end of next year. She brings more than three decades of experience across the life sciences, technology, real estate, retail and healthcare sectors, most recently serving as chief business officer and, prior to that, CFO of Amyris, a publicly-traded global biotech and manufacturing company. 
Previously, Valiasek was founder and CEO of Lenox Group Inc., a finance and strategic consulting firm, where she guided industry leaders such as Kaiser Permanente and Albertsons Cos. Her portfolio of work also includes key venture capital, real estate development and accounting roles, with expertise in SEC reporting, strategic planning, debt and equity financing, business development and mergers and acquisitions. With her appointment, Dave Vosburg assumed the role of Local Bounti’s chief operations officer.
Nelson – who recently retired as CFO and treasurer of Beyond Meat Inc. after successfully leading the company’s initial public offering in May 2019 – brings more than 30 years of leadership experience to Local Bounti, spanning both finance and operational roles in the technology, food and beverage, medical device and energy markets. Previously, he served as SVP and CFO of Biolase, treasurer and CFO of Farmer Bros. and VP and chief accounting officer at Newport Corp.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kathy and Mark to the exceptional Local Bounti leadership team, particularly at this pivotal time as we expand both our facilities and our business,” said Craig Hurlbert, Local Bounti co-founder and co-CEO. “Their extensive experience and full support of our company’s mission and vision will help to propel our growth as we continue to nourish local communities safely, responsibly and sustainably.”
Local Bounti is a controlled environment agriculture company redefining environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards for indoor agriculture. The company’s unique business model is based on building local facilities, operated by local teams, to deliver the freshest and highest quality produce to local communities while still maintaining a limited carbon footprint.
Using proprietary technology to grow leafy greens and herbs in a smart, indoor controlled environment, the company strives to deliver high-quality produce that not only has a longer shelf life but is also superior in taste and nutritional value. Local Bounti’s cultivation process uses 90 percent less water and land than conventional agriculture, without herbicides or pesticides.
“I am thrilled to join the tremendous Local Bounti team, whose fervent focus on unit economics is proving to be a winning formula poised to reap significant benefits for our customers and stakeholders,” said Valiasek.
According to Nelson, “The passion, ingenuity and extraordinary vision of the Local Bounti management is what immediately drew me to the team, and I look forward to contributing to Local Bounti’s impressive blueprint for business growth and value creation at this pivotal time in the company’s trajectory.”
Leveraging its modular building system, which is designed to easily and efficiently replicate the company’s sustainable indoor farm model, Local Bounti is more than doubling the size of its flagship Bitterroot facility in Hamilton, Montana, and plans to break ground on several facilities in the U.S. before the end of next year.
