Sistema.bio Appoints Dr Joyce Cacho As Board Chair

Sistema.bio, a global biogas enterprise for smallholder farmers has appointed Dr Joyce Cacho as its newest Board Member, and incoming Board Chair, effective January 2023. Following her appointment, the firm’s board will comprise of five members and two observers, with Dr Cacho representing the only independent integrant.

“As Sistema.bio evolves to a growth stage company, establishing a strong Corporate Governance foundation is instrumental. To achieve our goal of impacting over 1 million people by 2025 will require our business structure and operations to grow to a scale which aligns with our intended impact. The value of support from our board directors is pivotal to de-risking our growth and business value. Joyce’s addition to the board brings a unique viewpoint, given her governance, technology, and international experience.” said Alexander Eaton, CEO and Co-founder of Sistema.bio.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Sistema.bio’s board, a company committed to solving energy challenges with truly groundbreaking technology for smallholder and large-scale farmers alike. We are aligned on the belief that energy, climate change, agribusiness and a portfolio of customers can exist to the benefit of the environment and the customer,” said Dr Cacho. “I look forward to being a part of their growth trajectory and contributing to their portfolio approach to energy and climate change risk management by women and men farmers, and children in their communities.”

She brings with her deep experience as an Independent Director.  She serves as an Independent Board Director of Sunrise Banks, N.A., a regulated bank with Fintech partnerships and a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV).

As a Board Director of Fortune 250 company Land O’Lakes, Inc., Dr Cacho’s enterprise risk management expertise reflected C-suite executive experience as a former Global Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) and strategic leadership roles in multinational banking. She has diverse international experience in Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the African continent. Her track record is anchored in building strategic initiatives, and focusing on “3-capitals” sustainability, compliance, and finance governance.

As a policy advisor for the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) of the African Union Commission, contributed to including gender and youth in ag-tech/agribusiness in operationalizing the ‘Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want Strategic Framework’. She co-authored case studies for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) on Foreign Direct Investment in the Food Industry of Ghana, Mozambique, Tunisia, and Uganda.

Dr Cacho contributes to systems change as a Governance expert and Leadership Committee member of 2023 #GetOnBoard hybrid summit, How Women Lead. As board trustee, College of the Atlantic (COA), she works to support innovation in education. Service on the advisory boards of Competent Boards, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture keeps her engaged in shaping governance and innovation internationally, in both mature and emerging markets.

Named one of the most influential black corporate directors by Savoy magazine in 2021, Dr Cacho holds a PhD in Investment Decision-making & Corporate Finance from the University of Missouri (Mizzou); a MSc in Commodity Marketing & International Trade from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech); and a BA in Economics & Computer Science from the University of Windsor.  She is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), a member of CFA-NY, and a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Board Leadership Fellow.

Sistema.bio currently operates in LATAM, Asia and Africa. The company is ambitiously working to drive significant impact by helping up to 25,000 farms by 2025 and mitigating 1% of Global GHG emissions by 2030. It recently announced key milestones towards achieving its goals: the inauguration of a 20,000 sq. ft. production facility in India; the closure of a 15.6M US Series B investment round; and the registration of Carbon credits programs in Mexico, Kenya, and India.

In other news, applications for the annual CIO100 Awards and now Digital Transformation Awards is open.  Apply here.