8.31.09 | Chris Seper

Wisconsin trade group BioForward names new executive director

MADISON, Wisconsin — The president of the agricultural biotech Aova Technologies will take over the Wisconsin trade group BioForward.

Bryan Renk will begin as the organization’s executive director on Oct. 1. Board members want Renk to increase membership, boost political and purchasing clout, and expand on programs such as jobs fairs and educational initiatives, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Renk is president and director at Aova, which makes dietary additives for livestock. He also served as director of licensing at Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which handles technology transfer for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He’s on the boards of influenza vaccine developer FluGen and duck producer Maple Leaf Farms.