Xampla welcomes former P&G chemist to team as scale-up accelerates

CREATOR of plastic-free, natural materials, Xampla, continues to scale-up the commercialisation of its biodegradable Morro materials with new industry hire.

The deep tech company has grown its team by more than 25% in the last year, with Dr. Francys Fernandez Zavarce being the latest recruit.

Dr Zavarce joins as Specialty Chemical Business Development Manager to oversee the scale-up of Morro materials across FMCG markets.

She brings more than 20 years’ combined experience in chemical science and business development, at companies including Adqot and Procter & Gamble, where she was responsible for developing commercialisation strategies, and new product developments.

In her new role, Dr. Zavarce will spearhead the entry of Morro materials into market as replacements for the most polluting plastics. She will focus primarily on accelerating the commercialisation of Morro Coating.

Made from plants, Morro Coating replaces “forever chemicals” and plastic coatings traditionally used on paper and cardboard packaging. The plant-based material is fully biodegradable, home compostable and safe for food contact.

Zavarce will engage key stakeholders across industries, as well as collaborating with technical and product development teams, to advance R&D and commercial goals of the application.

The new appointment is the latest in a series of wins for the company, as Xampla recently completed a successful funding round securing $7m of investment to advance its plastic elimination mission.

Last month the company was awarded the Innovate UK Smart Grant, in partnership with 2M Group of Companies. This will see the scale-up of production of Morro materials to multiple tonnes per day at 2M’s Milton Keynes manufacturing site.

The continued growth follows the appointment of new CEO, Alexandra French, last year. In her role, French is responsible for leading the scale up of Xampla’s operations and partnerships with leading brands and manufacturers.

Alexandra French, CEO at Xampla, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Dr Francys Zavarce to our team as we continue to expand our team of experts year on year.

“Francys brings the strategic vision Xampla needs to innovate and scale-up our revolutionary natural materials in order to successfully penetrate the market and drive our R&D initiatives forward.”

Dr. Francys Fernandez Zavarce, Xampla’s Specialty Chemical Business Development Manager, said: “I’m honoured to join this thriving organisation, and to have the opportunity to drive the commercial growth of Xampla’s remarkable innovations.

“The global plastic pollution crisis is an urgent problem that fuels my passion for advancing new-age solutions. I look forward to collaborating with Xampla’s talented team of experts to achieve new heights and solidify our position as industry leaders in the plastic replacement space."