Business development and investment expert to help drive company’s
growth strategy
MALVERN, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Saint-Gobain
NOVA, the external ventures arm of one of the world’s largest
building materials companies and manufacturer of innovative material
solutions, has named Sven Harmsen as Director of External Venturing. In
this role, Harmsen will help drive Saint-Gobain NOVA’s broader growth
strategy as well as the company’s strategy around engagement and
investment in startups and their relationships with Saint-Gobain
businesses.
With more than 15 years of experience in business development and
investment in venture capital backed start-ups and large corporations,
Harmsen’s expertise will help Saint-Gobain NOVA enhance its partnership
activities with like-minded startups and grow the company’s investment
portfolio. He will also be actively involved in ensuring the success of
the InNOVAte
2019 Challenge, an accelerator program developed in partnership with CertainTeed,
Saint-Gobain’s
leading building and construction brand, and Greentown
Labs, the largest cleantech incubator in the U.S., with the goal of
developing innovative technologies to disrupt the built environment
value chain.
“Sven’s experience leading global investment teams and developing
strategic plans for portfolio companies will be valuable to our team as
we work to expand our portfolio,” said Minas Apelian, Vice President of
R&D, Quality and External Venturing at Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed.
“The diversity of Sven’s background as well as his deep knowledge of
business development and strategic investment will help to enhance our
overarching strategy to ensure we create an optimized, efficient plan
for our path forward.”
Prior to joining Saint-Gobain NOVA, Harmsen served as Investment
Director at M Ventures, the global corporate venture arm of Merck KGaA,
Darmstadt, Germany. From M Ventures’ office in Cambridge, Mass., he
established and led a global investment team focusing on strategic
investments in the field of performance materials and built an
international portfolio of strategic investments. He also previously
worked for BASF Venture Capital (BVC) and started its first investment
office on the East Coast of the U.S. During his time in strategic
venture units, he actively served on various Boards of portfolio
start-ups as director or observer and generated strong deal flow
covering diverse technical fields being of interest for BASF Venture
Capital and later on for M Ventures.
About Saint-Gobain NOVA
NOVA, Saint-Gobain’s External Ventures arm, is dedicated to fostering
partnerships with startups, incubators, and venture capital funds all
over the world. Since 2006, NOVA identifies forward-thinking startups
whose philosophies align with Saint-Gobain’s focus on well-being and
sustainability and connects these startups with the resources and
experience of Saint-Gobain. See www.nova-saint-gobain.com
About Saint-Gobain in North America
Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest building materials companies
and manufacturer of innovative material solutions, helps create great
living spaces by combining comfort and sustainability. For more than
three-and-a-half centuries, Saint-Gobain has been enhancing the
wellbeing of people everywhere, whether it’s by addressing climate
change, delivering true sustainable development, advancing the
information revolution, participating in medical breakthroughs or
playing a vital role in space exploration.
In North America, Saint-Gobain has approximately 160 locations and more
than 15,500 employees. In the United States and Canada, Saint-Gobain
reported sales of approximately $6.5 billion in 2018. Learn more about
Saint-Gobain North America by visiting www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com
and connect with Saint-Gobain North America on Facebook,
Twitter
and LinkedIn.
Contacts
MEDIA:
Brownstein Group on
behalf of Saint-Gobain NOVA
Lauren Mayer
[email protected]
267-238-4131
