Inside our partnership with Givaudan

We recently announced an exciting new partnership with Givaudan, the world’s leader in fragrance and beauty innovation, to license some of our most popular ingredients and formulations. To learn more about why this agreement is a perfect match for both Amyris and Givaudan, we sat down with Mike Rytokoski, President, Ingredients + Technology Access.

First, tell us about yourself and what drew you to Amyris?

MR: I joined Amyris because I love building businesses and was attracted by its fast-paced environment. As a father of four kids, our mission and commitment to sustainability was also an important motivator for me.

I have over 30 years of global experience building brands and leading consumer businesses. I started my career at Unilever, and worked my way up from marketing trainee to group marketing manager with responsibility for brands like Dove, Ponds, Axe, Rexona, Close Up and Vaseline. I fell in love with the beauty and personal care category because of its speed of innovation and high consumer engagement. After Unilever, I joined The Clorox Company where I worked as marketing manager for the laundry business until moving to general manager roles serving as President for Latin America and Asia. My most recent role was at Goodyear, where I was Chief Marketing Officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa. I have been fortunate to have the experience of living and working in nine countries across four continents.

You have deep experience within the beauty and personal care space. What does last week’s announcement about our partnership with Givaudan mean for that sector?

MR: Our agreement is further validation of the beauty industry’s confidence in biotechnology—specifically, its potential to transform the category to more sustainable consumption through high-performing ingredients that are safer for consumers and better for the environment.

Why are you excited about this partnership?

MR: It allows Amyris to reach even more new customers globally for our Neossance Squalane and Hemisqualane. It also enables us to accelerate our innovation pipeline.

You were out in front working on the deal. Anecdotally, what can you tell us about working on the partnership with Givaudan? How would you characterize their take on the partnership?

MR: This is an incredibly important step for Givaudan. They have been leading the flavors & fragrances and active cosmetic ingredients industry in becoming cleaner and more sustainable. Our B2B business is a great fit with this mission.

How will Amyris’ award-winning consumer brands benefit?

MR: Licensing  the commercialization rights to Givaudan for our B2B ingredients allows us to become laser-focused on the growth of our consumer business and adding more value to our existing portfolio and brands. This targeted approach extends our leaders’ bandwidth to help us acheive our goals faster. We’re determined not to lose sight of our purpose—shifting the world to sustainable consumption—and do to so, we’re concentrating on what’s most valuable to consumers.

Why is this an important step in Amyris’ evolution?

MR: I’m excited because this allows us to maximize the value from our technology and our B2B business.  It provides us with a great partner for new molecule development and commercialization. Being associated with a globally recognized and respected beauty industry leader like Givaudan helps further cement Amyris’ reputation and standing in the industry.

Mike Rytokoski is President, Ingredients + Technology Access. He holds over 30 years of international business experience, having led and grown businesses like Unilever, The Clorox Company and Goodyear in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America.