Deep Branch has appointed John Hays as its new vice president of commercial and sales. John’s primary responsibilities will be to further develop distribution and outlet for the company’s flagship product Proton™ and explore alternative applications and potential products using (R)evolve™, its proprietary gas fermentation platform. He will also play an active role in Deep Branch’s management team and act as a key spokesperson for the company, particularly on application and market development topics for Proton.

John brings over ten years of experience in finance and business development within the food and agriculture industries to Deep Branch. He joins the company from Cefetra Group, where he was head of Business Development. During this time, John developed the company’s road-to-ingredients strategy and established partnerships in the venture food scene with industry platforms, university institutions and corporate venture capital firms. 

“I’ve been following the alternative protein space for a while, and Deep Branch was one of the standout companies with both the technology and vision to make a real difference. The sustainability savings are significant, the scalability makes it a needle-mover, and the economics prove it is a viable option. However, meeting the management team truly sold me to the company. I’m thrilled to join such a passionate team,” Hays said.

Pete Rowe, Deep Branch’s CEO, added that “this is a very exciting time for Deep Branch as we get ready to create Proton on a large scale. Our commercial plants will produce over 100,000 tons of Proton every year, and bringing the protein-rich powder to market will not only tackle the climate emergency but reduce the food industry’s impact on biodiversity loss. I’m delighted that John has joined our team and believe he will play a vital role in the commercialization of Proton.”