A founder, strategist and business builder, Andy helps large and emerging companies build their businesses and innovate, advising senior executives at Fortune 100 companies and serving as an advisor and board member at start-up and early stage companies.

Andy's background includes forming and operating joint ventures, private equity funded entities and novel business models. His experience includes developing and implementing strategy, commercializing new businesses and innovations, establishing partnerships, building brands and marketing capability. His career includes being a founder and executive at two leading bio-material companies, Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. and NatureWorks, LLC, and holding senior business leadership roles at Cargill, Inc. and The Dow Chemical Company.

Andy has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, and a certificate in Managerial Issues in the Global Enterprise from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

As chairman of Dow Chemical's Versene¿ Chelants North American Product Management Team, Andy led new product development initiatives and launched line extensions into multiple applications and industries. When Dow moved to global businesses, Andy led development of the global business strategy and presented it to the CEO for approval.
He later helped create the Cargill-Dow Polymers joint venture, now known as NatureWorks, LLC, defining the value proposition and developing the unique business model. Andy was the Commercial Director reporting to the CEO and Board of Directors.
After leaving NatureWorks, Andy led transforming an R&D grant from the U.S. Department of Energy into Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. At Elevance, he was Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing and Executive Vice President, Corporate Brand and Communications, establishing business strategy, critical marketing collaborations, the sales and marketing organization and capability, corporate brand essence and the brand architecture for a portfolio of opportunities.

Andy has been an invited speaker at the Innovation Research Interchange, the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, FABTECH and Twin Cities Start-Up Week. He is active with the University of Notre Dame's Idea Center, the University of Minnesota Business Advisory Group, Chicago Innovation, Chicago Ideas and the Private Directors Association.