Jay Surina joins Genera senior leadership team as chief financial officer
Genera CFO Jay Surina
VONORE, Tenn. Aug. 19, 2021 — Genera, a manufacturer of sustainable pulp and molded fiber products from locally grown, annually regenerative fiber crops, has named Jay Surina the company’s chief financial officer. Surina brings years of experience in financial leadership ranging from startup companies to multi-billion-dollar public companies in the energy, mining and manufacturing sectors.
As CFO, Surina will be responsible for planning, implementing and managing all of Genera’s financial activities. As a member of the executive management team, Surina will provide strategic recommendations to the CEO and other executives.
“Jay has shown throughout his career a particular aptitude for shepherding startups through the launch phase to become highly successful companies,” said Dr. Kelly Tiller, Genera CEO. “We are delighted that he is bringing his unique skill set and years of experience to our executive team. It’s an exciting time for Genera, and Jay’s expertise will be crucial to helping us make the most of it.”
Since the launch of its innovative Earthable® line of sustainable, ag-based fiber products in 2020, Genera has been ramping up its capacity to meet the growing demand for cost-effective and eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics for foodservice and consumer packaging.
Surina, who holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, helped lead U.S. energy startup NuScale Power from the early stages of its launch to become the leading small modular nuclear reactor developer. Surina was responsible for raising over $1 billion in investment funding during NuScale’s startup phase, growing the company from 25 employees to more than 400. Harvard Business School published two case studies on the NuScale launch and invited Surina to teach a class based on his experience. Prior to NuScale, Surina led corporate finance for Texas Genco and Boart Longyear, following more than 10 years in M&A and financial advisory practice. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Captain Surina launched his career in corporate finance on the heels of an impressive military service career that included directing operations of a nuclear submarine and serving as Commanding Officer of the Naval Reserve Intelligence Program.
“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to help Genera build on the successful launch of the Earthable® line and enter a new phase of rapid growth,” Surina said. “I have helped many young companies achieve success in my career. I love the vision and mission of Genera, and I can’t wait to work with this highly talented and committed team to position Genera as the industry leader in sustainable ag-based fiber solutions. The world requires the exact solutions Genera is delivering today.”
Genera’s first manufacturing facility is located in Vonore, Tennessee, processing agricultural crops such as switchgrass into annually renewable fiber and Genera’s Earthable® line of sustainable food-grade, compostable packaging. The facility is the largest of its kind in North America, fully integrating local production of fiber crops with fiber processing and manufacturing molded fiber products. Genera’s Vonore facility employs more than 80 people today, expected to more than double under a planned expansion in response to overwhelming market demand for domestically sourced and manufactured sustainable packaging solutions.
For more information about Genera and Earthable®, please visit https://generainc.com.
About Genera
Genera, a Tennessee-based ag fiber manufacturer, works to simplify supply chains with domestically sourced and produced ag-based pulp and molded fiber products. Partnering with local farmers, Genera provides a sustainable farm-to-finished product solution for a wide array of applications, including compostable food service tableware, to-go containers, packaging, paper, tissue and more. To learn more about Genera, please visit https://generainc.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
(865) 977-1973
hripley@ripleypr.com
