Woodridge, Ill. — Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. has hired Robert “Bob” Kumpf as the company’s chief technology officer. In this role, Kumpf will focus on expanding the organization’s product and applications development capabilities.

Elevance, based in Illinois, has a facility in Natchez on track to become its second biorefinery.

“Bob’s breadth of experience and knowledge make him a tremendous addition to our leadership team,” said Elevance CEO K’Lynne Johnson. “In this new position, Bob will continue to support and further accelerate commercialization activities. We are delighted to welcome him to our company.”

Prior to joining Elevance, Kumpf served as chief operating officer at Plextronics, a leader in the research, development and commercialization of conductive and semi-conductive polymers and ink formulations, which enable the commercialization of printed electronic devices.

In this role, he led the company’s research, engineering and manufacturing operations.

Previously, Kumpf served as chief administrative officer at Bayer MaterialScience.