SurfactGreen was created in 2016 by two inventors and four entrepreneurs. As such, our company boasts an experienced team of founders an co-owners, totalling 170 years in the field of chemistry, 90 in international business and start-ups, and 90 in green chemistry-orientated academic research.

Leadership & co-founders

SurfactGreen team : Pierre-Yves Divet

Pierre-Yves Divet

President
& founder

Pierre-Yves (chemical engineer) is a private investor in the chemistry sector. He also has an international track record over several decades in leading large chemical companies.

SurfactGreen team : Xavier Roussel

Xavier Roussel

Chief Executive Officer
& co-owner

Xavier (INSEAD Executive MBA, BA in Sales and Marketing) has held various positions (Supply Chain, VP of Sales and Marketing, VP of Operations, and Managing Director) in different countries. Mainly focused on international development, he has also been involved in the food industry, agro-business, renewable energies and fine chemistry.

SurfactGreen team : Thierry Benvegnu

Thierry Benvegnu

Inventor, scientific advisor
& founder

Thierry (PhD in organic chemistry from the ENSCR, postdoctoral studies at Stanford University in the USA) is a professor specialised in the design of 100% bio-based surfactants. He received six awards and published over 80 scientific papers. He also published 18 patents and co-wrote several books.

SurfactGreen team : Jacques Biton

Jacques Biton

Scientific advisor
& co-owner​​

Jacques (PhD in biotechnology) has held operational positions in the R&D departments of various international pharmaceutical companies. Since 2002, he has been involved in the set-up (from initial ideas to IPO on Alternext) and operational management of innovative start-ups in the cleantech, greentech and biotech sectors.

SurfactGreen team : Daniel Plusquellec

Daniel Plusquellec

Inventor and founder

Daniel was the former Dean at the Rennes School of Chemistry (ENSCR), and used to chair the Gay-Lussac Federation. He is currently an emeritus professor, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK). He has published over 130 scientific papers and patents, and co-authored several books.

SurfactGreen team : Daniel Danjean

Daniel Danjean

Founder

Daniel (engineering diploma from ENSC Toulouse) has 25 years’ experience as a business developer for international chemical distributors. He is indeed an expert in surfactant applications such as cosmetics, detergents, painting, building, printing and agro-science. His expertise expands to formulation, registration and labelling, and he is also a certified FFP trainer.

Business team

SurfactGreen team : Clémentine Martin Lepicard

Clémentine Martin Lepicard

Regulatory and Commercial Affairs Officer

Clementine previously worked in different companies in the personal care and cosmetics industry, boasting 15 years’ experience in cosmetic raw material commercialisation. More recently, Clementine focused more on the customer-orientated technical sales aspect of her work. She is now in charge of the cosmetic market segment.

Paul Kermarrec

Digital Marketing and Communication Officer

Paul graduated from EMLV Paris with a master’s degree in digital marketing strategy. Through his specialization and past experiences in the innovation sector, he is in charge of developing SurfactGreen’s digital strategy and creating communication materials.

SurfactGreen team : Jenny Corless

Jenny Corless

Head of Marketing and Global Business Development

Jenny spent the past 12 years in Global Marketing at L’Oréal USA, developing and managing the long-term innovation strategies for leading haircare and skincare brands, and cofounding a digital startup. Jenny is a native English speaker and fluent in French and Spanish. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from the University of Paris VI and a Master’s degree in Business and Cosmetic Chemisty from the ISIPCA. She is in charge of SurfactGreen’s international development of.

Céline Viel

Administrative Coordinator, Sales and Quality Control

Céline graduated from Rennes 1 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Business and has more than 15 years of experience in the cosmetics industry, notably as a supply chain project manager. Céline is currently in charge of sales and quality coordination at SurfactGreen.

Surfactants synthesis team

SurfactGreen team : Freddy Pessel

Freddy Pessel

R&D Engineer

Freddy is a chemical engineer, who graduated from the Rennes School of Chemistry (ENSCR). Moreover, Freddy has a PhD in Green Organic Chemistry from the Paris-Sud University. Freddy has spent the last two years working on the development of surfactants using brown algae. His current endeavour is focused on optimising and producing bio-based cationic surfactants.

SurfactGreen team : Cédric Boyère

Cédric Boyère

R&D Engineer

Cédric has a PhD in chemistry from the University of Liège (Belgium). He has managed research projects in organic and green chemistry, including CO₂ technologies, and has developed original repositories of sugar-based surfactants. Cédric is currently working on algae recovery, drawing on the principles of green chemistry.

SurfactGreen team : Pauline Vincent

Pauline Vincent

R&D Engineer

Pauline has a PhD in polymer science from the University of Bordeaux, where she also studied polymer engineering, colloids and formulation at the Senior School of Chemistry, Biology and Physics (ENSCBP). She is currently developing bio-based surfactants for the road industry.

Surfactants characterization and formulation team

SurfactGreen team : Francis Galle

Francis Galle

Formulation Engineer

Francis is a chemical engineer who graduated from the Lille School of Chemistry (ENSCL), and boasts expertise in formulation. He relies on his experience with surfactants used in detergents and agrochemistry to formulate SurfactGreen’s molecules.

SurfactGreen team : Milène Richard

Milène Richard

Cosmetic Formulator

Milène has 5 years’ experience in R&D and cosmetic formulation, namely in haircare, skincare and make up applications. She is in charge of setting up the new cosmetic application laboratory at SurfactGreen.

SurfactGreen team : Alice Marsault

Alice Marsault

Chemical Technician

Alice studied analytical chemistry and R&D formulation at the Universities of Poitiers and Orléans. She is in charge of surfactant characterisation.

SurfactGreen team : Florent Loisel

Florent Loisel

Trainee Formulation Engineer

Florent is currently preparing a master’s degree in formulation and data mining at the University of Cergy-Pontoise. He works on the application of our molecules to different detergent and cosmetic formulations.