BERKELEY, California, and WAYZATA, Minnesota, United States, April 2025 — Pivot Bio, one of the world’s leading innovative agtech companies, has announced the appointment of Laureen Thompson as Head of People and Human Resources. In her new role, Thompson will join the company’s executive leadership team and report directly to Chris Abbott, Chief Executive Officer of Pivot Bio.
“Laureen brings significant experience to this leadership role,” said Abbott. “As we have continued to grow, she has played an important role in shaping our workforce strategy, fostering a positive workplace culture and driving the engagement of our team. I look forward to her aligning human resources strategies with overall business objectives, supporting both organizational growth and team member well-being.”
As Head of People and Human Resources, Thompson will lead the overall HR strategy at Pivot Bio, overseeing recruitment, talent development, team member engagement, compensation and benefits, and the continued cultivation of a strong organizational culture. She will support employees across four U.S. hubs — in California, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota — as well as an office in Brazil.
Thompson joined Pivot Bio in 2022 as Senior Director of Total Rewards, bringing with her more than 25 years of strategic HR experience. In addition to leading total rewards, she recently assumed responsibility for talent acquisition, HR systems, and operations.
Her career began at Prudential, where she was selected for the company’s rotational leadership program. She later spent over a decade at Willis Towers Watson as a consultant and 16 years at VWR/Avantor, where she served as Global Vice President of Total Rewards and played a key role in executing two IPOs.
Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Arcadia University and an MBA from LaSalle University. She remains active in the human resources field and serves on several nonprofit boards.
Pivot Bio
Pivot Bio delivers patented crop nutrition technologies that harness the power of nature to help farmers grow food productively and sustainably. Operating in North America and soon Brazil, Pivot Bio’s solutions represent breakthrough innovations in climate-friendly agriculture. The company has been recognized by Time, Fast Company, CNBC, Fortune, and MIT Tech Review for its leadership in climate tech and innovation.
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