The World’s Only Supplier of Mega e

Leander van der Walt

Chief Executive Officer

Leander serves as CEO of MS Biotec and guides the organization’s strategic focus and vision.

Leander has more than 18 years of experience commercializing Megasphaera elsdenii for the cattle market, starting in South Africa. He moved his family to the U.S. in 2010 and became MS Biotec’s first employee at the company’s founding. Since, Leander has grown the business and assumed various management roles to ensure strategic growth and development.

Leander holds a Master’s in Business Leadership from the University of South Africa and an Animal Science degree from the University of Orange Free State.

 

Carl Guthrie D.V.M.

Chief Commercial Officer

Carl is the Chief Commercial Officer and provides leadership for all sales, marketing and technical teams.

Carl joined MS Biotec in 2018 after a productive, 22-year career with Elanco where he served as Regional Sales Director for Cattle and Swine and Director of Technical Consulting for the Beef Business Unit. Prior to joining Elanco, Carl owned and operated a private veterinary practice in Nebraska for several years.

Carl earned his doctorate in veterinary medicine and bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Oklahoma State University. Carl is married with one daughter in high school.

 

Ming Lau, Ph.D.

Senior Director of Process Development and New Product Research

As MS Biotec’s Senior Director of Process Development and New Product Research, Ming oversees R&D activities including quality control, process improvement, product development and pipeline discovery.

Ming has extensive experience in the biotechnology industry which includes fermentation, biofuel production, agriculture biologicals and enzyme applications. He has published 11 peer-reviewed articles, which have received more than 1,300 citations combined, along with 3 patents. Ming joined DuPont in 2010 and held various technical leadership roles to develop comprehensive bioconversion processes of cellulosic ethanol production from the lab to a pilot program to the manufacturing scale. He later joined Monsanto/Bayer Biologics where his platform’s focus was on developing formulation and stabilization technologies for new biologicals as seed treatment products. With this breadth and depth of expertise, Ming became part of the management team of MS Biotec in April 2021.

Ming is from Malaysia and has a BSc in Bioprocess Engineering from Malaysia, MSc in Biotechnology from TU-Hamburg, Germany and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University, United States.

He is married with two children and is proficient in four languages. Ming loves to travel and experience cultures from different parts of the world.

 

Dusan Ruzic

Vice President of Manufacturing and Strategy

As Vice President of Manufacturing and Strategy, Dusan provides leadership in operational excellence, supply chain strategy, and manufacturing strategy as well as support for the global expansion and launch of new products.

Dusan brings a wealth of biotechnology experience having spent over a decade at Merck & Co., Inc. where he held roles of increasing responsibility across process development, commercialization, operations strategy, and external manufacturing. Most notably, he played key roles in helping commercialize and launch Vaxelis™ (US), Ervebo®, and Vaxneuvance™ . Dusan joined the MS Biotec team in August 2021.

Dusan holds a BSc and MSc in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. He currently resides in the Philadelphia area with his wife and three children. In his spare time, Dusan loves to travel and spend time outdoors.

 

Justin Harpe

Director of Operations

Justin is the Director of Production Operations and oversees a world-class facility specialized in the production of anaerobic bacteria.

Justin is a Licensed Electrician who joined MS Biotec as an Equipment Specialist in 2011. He was instrumental in the design and build of MS Biotec’s primary production line in 2012. Since, Justin has expanded the production facility and office space and developed the production process to freeze-dry anaerobic bacteria for use in a new generation of MS Biotec products.

Justin was born in Traverse City, Michigan and moved to Saint Marys, Kansas as a child. He attended Saint Mary’s Academy and later apprenticed with the electrical industry through the IBEW. He went on to pursue a successful electrical career in both commercial and industrial settings for 14 years before joining MS Biotec. While attending Saint Mary’s Academy, Justin met and later married his high school sweetheart and they enjoy raising their 14 children in the Saint Mary’s area.

 

Amanda Padilla

Director of Finance and Accounting

As the Director of Finance and Accounting for MS Biotec, Amanda leads the implementation of corporate finance strategy and is responsible for treasury, revenue management, accounting, and external audit procedures. She plays a critical role in MS Biotec’s strategic leadership and corporate governance.

Prior to joining MS Biotec in 2019, Amanda held a range of progressive senior accounting roles, including Senior Accounting Manager and Corporate Controller of publicly traded international companies in various industries.

Amanda graduated with her B.A. of Accounting from Florida State University and started her career with Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding where she served as part of the cost accounting group. Her career path has taken her from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi to the California shore, then to the MS Biotec corporate headquarters in Denver, CO. Amanda currently resides in North Texas with her husband and three children.