NL
(Gothenburg, Sweden, 1 April 2021) – Heliospectra AB (publ) (Nasdaq First North Growth Market: HELIO, and North American ADR OTCQB: HLSPY), a leading innovator of intelligent lighting technology for greenhouse and controlled plant growth environments, announces the nomination of two new board members, Ljubo Mrnjavac and Bonny Heeren. They are set to replace Staffan Hillberg and Martin Skoglund. The nomination committee will officially present the nominations at the Annual General Meeting on May 20[th], 2021. The two nominees will bring leadership experience and a global perspective to Heliospectra and support expansion in Europe.
As Heliospectra turns focus towards growth and expansion, proactive measures are in place to attract the right competencies and investment. To accomplish this, Heliospectra nominates two new board members, Bonny and Ljubo, whom poses extensive international business experience and wide industry networks needed to help secure the means for rapid growth over the coming years.
Bonny Heeren
An accomplished executive with a wide network and deep connection to the global horticulture and greenhouse industry, Bonny Heeren (1970) has held multiple leadership positions within Group Saint-Gobain, most recently as Managing Director for the BU Horticulture division. Previously, he was CFO for different activities of Saint-Gobain in the Benelux including GLASS, ISOVER and ADFORS. Bonny graduated with a Master of Science and Business Economics at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam and completed the General Management Program at Harvard University in Boston. He is currently an investor in Agtech start-ups and on the Board of Advice at Corvus Drones.
“I’ve spent the past 11 years in the horticulture market, and I can see that the industry is developing, moving towards more data-driven, autonomous technology and sustainable solutions. I am therefore excited to join the Board of Heliospectra and use my connections and network within the horticulture industry to help the company establish the right partnerships and grow market share, especially in the European market.” – Bonny Heeren.
Ljubo Mrnjavac
Having led and developed large international businesses for 35 years, Ljubo Mrnjavac (1963) is adept at driving commercialization and expansions. He is currently Head of Investments at Adma Förvaltnings AB, Heliospectra’s second-largest investor. Previously, he was Co-founder & CEO for Rosengård Invest AB, CEO of Fast Food Concepts by Tulip, and CEO & Founder of Pølsemannen. His past board assignments include Invest in Skåne AB, Swedbank AB Malmö, Ikaros Cleantech AB, and MobilGiganten AB. Ljubo holds an Executive MBA from the School of Economics and Management at the University of Lund and has studied Marketing and Economy at IHM Business School.
“Both the green tech market and the horticulture market are growing rapidly, as sustainable solutions become more and more important and replace older traditional solutions. Adma continues to be a major investor of Heliospecta, and we believe Heliospectra is at the pinnacle of catering those segments. I look forward to using my experience to help Heliospectra achieve its potential.” – Ljubo Mrnjavac.
Bonny and Ljubo will be replacing Martin Skoglund and Staffan Hillberg, who have both been an important part of Heliospectra for many years.
Martin Skoglund
As one of the founders of Heliospectra, Martin Skoglund has been with the company from the beginning in 2006. Over the years he has used his entrepreneurial spirit, his ability to raise venture capital, and his strong capabilities for business planning to grow Heliospectra into a leading innovator of Horticulture LED lighting solutions.
“When we started Heliospectra 15 years ago as a research company we saw a need in the market for more sustainable LED grow light solutions. Today, the company is a long way from just developing light strategies, but there are still some steps to take before we are the complete solution and automation provider, we have set out to become. As I step down, I have full confidence that Ali, the team, and the Board will continue to lead and drive innovation within the industry and productize the patents we hold.” – Martin Skoglund.
Staffan Hillberg
Staffan joined Heliospectra in 2010 as CEO and grew the organization from a simple research company to a global exporter of innovative LED lighting solutions. He raised 260 MSEK in new capital and listed Heliospectra on Nasdaq First North Growth Market. When he left the position of CEO in 2017 he joined Heliospectra’s Board of Directors, continuing to guide the company.
”I am extremely proud of the journey Heliospectra and its employees have taken over the years – both under my own and under Ali’s governance. The team at Heliospectra has always been very passionate and driven, and they are key to building the company’s success. I am confident we will see a lot of innovative solutions from Heliospectra in the future.” – Staffan Hillberg.
Heliospectra’s Board will officially present their nominations before the owners at the Annual General Meeting on May 20th, 2021. Andreas Gunnarsson, Chairman of the Board, comments, “I would like to personally thank Martin and Staffan for their considerable contributions to the growth of Heliospectra. As we work to expand our reach into Europe and drive growth on a global scale, this is the time to build our network and attract the right people. I would therefore like to welcome the new nominees to share in the challenge and adventure of building our future.”