Planet Smart, a leading innovator in biodegradable superabsorbent polymers , today announced the appointment of Dr Peter Seufer-Wasserthal as Executive Chairman and Dr Russell Thomas as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Together they will be responsible for setting and driving strategic direction, and growing R&D alliances to guide Planet Smart in navigating the global superabsorbent polymer (SAP) market.

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Dr. Peter Seufer-Wasserthal is stepping up as executive chairman after a year as executive-in-residence at Planet Smart. He is an accomplished business leader in the enzymes and chemistry-based industries, serving in business development positions at Codexis, Intrexon, Origenis, and Sestina Bio. He currently chairs the board of UK-based Imperagen, where he provides expertise in securing funding and scaling operations. In his new role, Dr. Seufer-Wasserthal will guide Planet Smart’s overall strategy, helping the company scale its sustainable innovations to meet current and future demand.

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Dr. Russell Thomas, the newly appointed Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), brings over 25 years of experience in toll manufacturing, business development, and strategic alliances. He has held leadership roles at GSK, Evotec, Siena Biotech, Axxam, and Symeres, where he successfully aligned technical expertise with commercial strategy. As a Ph.D organic chemist, Dr Thomas understands the intersection of science and customer needs required to drive Planet Smart’s global commercial initiatives.

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Gerald Perry Marin, Chief Executive Officer at Planet Smart commented:

‍“Dr. Peter Seufer-Wasserthal and Dr. Russell Thomas’s experience is essential for the next stage of Planet Smart as we move from laboratory scale to industrial scale to supply an ever-growing customer base. We are very excited to welcome and work alongside them as we transition to commercialization.”

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Russell added:

“I look forward to bringing my experience with CDMO and toll manufacturing companies to this exciting stage of Planet Smart’s growth as we build and strengthen the relationships with key commercial partners. Peter and I have extensive expertise in scaling operations, securing supplier contracts for a robust supply chain and working to meet customers’ demands. I’m also looking forward to working with Peter, and helping the Planet Smart founding team execute our seed raise goals and beyond.” 

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Peter went on to say:

“After working with the team as an executive-in-residence bringing my network, technical and commercial expertise over the past year, I look forward to continuing my work with the team and supporting the success of Planet Smart in this new role”.

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Dr Sara Jones, a VP of Science and Technology at General Inception, further stated:

“The founders and their team at Planet Smart have successfully grown the company over the last year, surpassing their pre-seed milestones and rapidly developing their technology. By onboarding such experience on the team, we have full confidence in the team’s continued success.”

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Both appointments are effective March 1st, 2025 ‍

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About Planet Smart‍

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Planet Smart is a sustainability-driven company dedicated to revolutionising the superabsorbent polymer industry. By leveraging polymer chemistry and bio-based materials, the company is offering a biodegradable solution, without compromising on performance and competitive cost. Founded by industry experts with deep experience in sustainable innovation, For more information, visit www.planetsmart.co.‍

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About General Inception‍

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General Inception (GI) is pioneering company creation as an Igniter company. General Inception partners with extraordinary scientific founders at the inception of their journey to efficiently translate their groundbreaking innovations into transformational companies that address humanity's grand challenges. As a business co-founder, GI brings together domain and functional expertise, executive talent, infrastructure and development resources, and capital to ignite, nurture and scale the company journey. GI is backed by leading venture capital firms Genoa Ventures, Hughes Ventures, Northpond Ventures, OMX Ventures, Paladin Capital Group, and Vertical Venture Partners.

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For more information, please visit https://www.generalinception.com/.

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Media Contact: Maurice Rüttimann, maurice@planetsmart.co