Jill Zullo | Executive Vice President | Chief Operating Officer

Jill Zullo is BioMADE’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Zullo is a pioneer in biotechnology commercialization and has spent her career introducing sustainable solutions and products to new bioindustrial markets. At BioMADE, she will drive business execution of BioMADE’s pilot plant network, strategic partnerships, bioeconomic development, external affairs, and business operations.

Zullo joins BioMADE from Cargill, where she spent nearly three decades developing new technologies, from the foods we consume every day to the industrial biotech innovations that will propel us into the future. Most recently, she served as the Interim President & CEO of NatureWorks, a Cargill joint venture that led the biomanufacturing development of Ingeo™️ polylactic acid (PLA), a biobased suite of plastics and fibers to replace fossil-based materials. She was instrumental in reimagining the company’s global business operations, driving sales and streamlining organizational structure.

Previously, Zullo held the position of Global Managing Director, BioIntermediates at Cargill Bioindustrial where she built a renewable intermediate business for Cargill from the ground up, structuring creative deals to ensure the commercial development and market longevity of various technologies. In this role, she also spearheaded Qore LLC, a joint venture between Cargill and HELM, a German-based chemicals company, for the production and marketing of renewable 1,4 butanediol (QIRATM), which is used for renewable spandex, packaging, and industrial materials. These efforts motivated Cargill to invest $350 million in an Iowa production facility.

Additionally, Zullo currently serves as a board member for Project Scientist, a non-profit that empowers the next generation of women STEM leaders, and Ayana Bio, a biotechnology startup. Zullo earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and her Ph.D. in Food Technology from Iowa State University.

Contact Jill at hello@biomade.org