Algiecel strengthens female-led leadership team ahead of commercial scale-up
Danish microalgae ingredients company Algiecel has appointed Mette Ingeman Pedersen as Chief Financial Officer and Tove Feld as Chairperson of its Board of Directors, reinforcing a female-led leadership team as the business prepares to scale its marine bioactives platform for the nutrition, pet food and personal care sectors.
L-R: Mette Ingeman Pedersen (Algiecel CFO), Susanne Palsten Buchardt (Algiecel CEO), Tove Feld (Algiecel Chair BOD)
The appointments, announced on 6th July 2026 in Copenhagen, bring finance, industrial scale-up, governance and renewable energy expertise to a company headed by CEO Susanne Palsten Buchardt, as it moves from platform validation towards commercial production of microalgae-derived ingredients.
New CFO brings Nordic finance and scale-up experience
Mette Ingeman Pedersen joins Algiecel with more than 20 years of senior finance, advisory and commercial experience across the Nordic region, with a track record of helping science-based companies convert innovation into scalable business models. She previously served as CFO of Topsoe’s Power-to-X business, where she supported the build-out of the finance function during a period of rapid growth and the commercial deployment of first-of-a-kind industrial infrastructure.
Her earlier career includes senior finance roles at Saxo Bank, Nordea and Danske Bank, covering finance transformation, IPO readiness, valuation modelling and fundraising preparation. At Algiecel, she will lead the finance function through the company’s next phase of commercial expansion and investment.
“Algiecel is entering a decisive stage, where strong financial discipline must support ambitious commercial execution,” said Mette Ingeman Pedersen, CFO at Algiecel. “My focus will be on helping Algiecel build the structure, investor confidence and financial resilience needed for long-term growth.”
Chairperson adds governance and renewable energy expertise
Tove Feld takes on the role of Chairperson with 35 years of experience in energy, infrastructure, renewables and strategic transformation, including more than 15 years of board experience across private and listed companies. An engineer by training, she has held senior positions at Ørsted and its predecessor DONG Energy, including Chief Technology Officer and Head of Engineering, as well as leadership roles at Siemens Wind Power and DNV.
“Algiecel’s opportunity is not only about producing microalgae; it is about building a reliable industrial platform for marine bioactives,” said Tove Feld, Chairperson of the Board of Directors at Algiecel. “I look forward to supporting the team as it moves towards commercial scale.”
Supporting commercial-scale microalgae production
CEO Susanne Palsten Buchardt said the appointments strengthen Algiecel’s ability to execute on its commercial ambitions. “Scaling Algiecel requires more than promising technology,” she said. “It requires operational discipline, financial rigour, industrial experience and a leadership team capable of turning innovation into reliable commercial supply.”
Women now hold central executive and board-level roles at Algiecel, including Rikke Dybvad as Head of Legal & HR and Merete Lundbye Møller as a board member, alongside Buchardt, Ingeman Pedersen and Feld.
Algiecel’s compact, modular bioreactors cultivate Nannochloropsis oceanica microalgae using artificial light, water and captured CO2, an approach designed to offer predictable supply and consistent product quality while reducing customer exposure to marine ingredient supply volatility. The company raised DKK 60m (€8m) in 2024 to support continued development and scale-up of its technology.
