Management Team
Dr. Riesmeier joined Direvo in 2010 from the venture capital firm LSP, Inc. (Boston), where he had been General Partner since 2006. He launched and directed the US office of this $1 billion global venture-capital firm, where he was responsible for developing and managing a $100 million investment portfolio with a focus on clean technologies, agriculture, platform technologies, food and nutrition, and health. Prior to his position at LSP, Dr. Riesmeier was Head of Business Development at Burrill & Co. (San Francisco), where he held responsibility for both the AgBio and Nutraceutical funds, managing the Bayer account at Burrill and $100 million in venture capital. Previously, Dr. Riesmeier was President & CEO at PlantTec Biotechnologie in Potsdam, Germany (acquired by Bayer CropScience), an €8 million biotech startup that he created and supervised, maintaining leadership through acquisition by Bayer CropScience in 2000 and assuming strategic business development and R&D roles within Bayer. He received his PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from the Free University of Berlin, Germany.
Mr. Lischka joined Direvo Industrial Biotechnology in January 2009. He started at the Company as Director HR and soon took over the responsibilities in Finance and Administration. He successfully developed a new cost accounting and calculation scheme, a liquidity planning tool as well and a new reporting scheme. Andreas is responsible for Finance, Controlling, Human Resources and Investor Relations, IT and General Administration. Prior to Direvo, he started his career in the chemical industry where he worked for more than 10 years. Andreas received his MBA from the University of East London, UK.
Ms. Milos joined Direvo in 2008. She worked previously for mineral salts company Jungbunzlauer Ladenburg GmbH (Ladenburg, Germany) and prior to that for AB Enzymes GmbH (Darmstadt, Germany) in product management for industrial products. At Direvo she is responsible for corporate alliances and marketing. She received an engineering degree with specialization in biotechnology at the Mannheim University of Applied Science in Mannheim, Germany.
Dr. Läufer joined Direvo in June 2011. In 2002 he cofounded Corvay GmbH, Hannover, and he is Corvay´s CEO since 2008. Corvay advises clients in the biotech and chemical industries. At the same time Dr. Läufer co-founded Vakzine Projekt Management GmbH (VPM) and was VPM´s CEO from 2003 to 2008. During this time he was responsible for preclinical and early clinical development programs for preventive vaccines against malaria, tuberculosis and HCMV, for a therapeutic vaccine against prostate cancer and for a novel β-Interferon. Prior to his position at VPM Dr. Läufer was Regional Director in Solvay Pharmaceuticals GmbH and responsible for operations in Canada, Australia/NZ, Middle East (including Turkey) and Asia (including Japan), managing annual sales exceeding 350 mill €. Dr. Läufer was heading Solvay Enzymes GmbH as the CEO from 1993 – 1996. Previously he held positions with Rütgerswerke AG from 1985 to 199). He studied biochemistry and chemistry in Tübingen, Basel, Tokyo and Braunschweig and holds a PhD in chemistry.