Dr. Pierre Broun is Director of Agriculture at NEOM, where he leads the implementation of climate-resilient, technology-driven agricultural production systems. Pierre built NEOM’s agricultural strategy, delivering advanced CEA assets and pilot programs for climate-appropriate and resource-efficient production.
Previously, he was VP and Head of Plant Science at ofi (Olam), leading global strategic initiatives on cocoa and coffee to improve farming sustainability and product quality. Pierre joined Olam from Nestlé, where he was Head of Plant Science and ran an R&D Center that pioneered genome-assisted breeding and industrial-scale propagation of elite planting material. In parallel, he co-founded Ninole Cacao in Hawaii, a small production farm producing award-nominated specialty cocoa.
Pierre has authored 30+ publications and holds 20 patents in plant biology and metabolic engineering. He served as a professor at the University of York and asenior scientist at Mendel Biotechnology. His innovations range from field applications to biochemical profiling, leveraging strategic industry-academic partnerships. He actively contributes to industry platforms on innovation, sustainability, and regulatory.