Daniel Peck

About Daniel Peck

I am a collaborative scientist with extensive experience in trial management, biopesticide development and applied ecology, passionate about advancing innovative pest management solutions My greatest impact may be as a subject matter expert in cross-functional or multi-disciplinary environments. An example is aligning field development contributions with those of R&D, regulatory, marketing and sales in a Product Development role, or advocating entomology alongside plant pathology, agronomy and soil science in a Crop Protection roleI want to influence highest-level business decisions with relevant, innovative and timely scientific and technical information. To do that, draws on 25+ years of post-graduate career experience. Defining milestones include building a team to conduct problem-solving research in international ag, developing a high-profile and high-impact research and extension program in academia, and impacting the trajectory of a fast-paced startup in the agricultural biotech industryMost recently, I helped Vestaron transition from R&D to full commercialization by building and scaling a field development program that now supports global regulatory and market expansion for two novel modes of action. I am skilled in developing and executing trial programs, forging relationships with contractors and cooperators, and delivering actionable outcomes to establish best use practices, drive product adoption and foster investor confidencePROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES: Project and team leadership; Product development; Experimental design, GEP standards, data collection, statistical analysis, ARM software; Public speaking, extension education, technology transfer; Scientific and technical writing; Cross-cultural cooperation; Academic mentoring; English (native), Spanish (fluent), French (basic) SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE: Crop protection; Entomology; Integrated pest management; Insect ecology; Biopesticides; Biological control; Specialty ag, greenhouse, forage grass, row crop and turfgrass systems; Soil insect pests; Spittlebugs

Experience

1. Director, International Field Development

   Vestaron Crop Protection

   Mar 2023 — Present · Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, US

   Provide key technical support for the development and commercialization of two novel MOAs (IRAC Group 32 and UNP), including the approval of Emergency Use Authorizations in Europe• Design, coordinate and execute on field efficacy trials to test performance of peptide-based biopesticides in support of international regulatory submissions and market development• Work cross-functionally with R&D, Regulatory, Sales and Marketing to provide technical and subject matter expertise for testing early-stage concepts, generating data to develop best use practices, reviewing product labels, supporting sales, and expanding market potential• Manage FD activities in Brazil, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Morocco, including direct relationships with >30 foreign contract research organizations, university scientists, or other research cooperators to execute 43-88 trials per year

Education

• Cornell University

  Ph.D., Entomology

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

  B.Sc., Zoology and Entomology

Skills

• Research
• Customer Service
• Experimental Design
• Science
• Integrated Pest Management
• Applied Research
• Teaching
• Statistics
• Agriculture
• Strategic Planning
• Ecology
• Horticulture
• Laboratory
• Entomology
• Agronomy
• Turfgrass
• Management
• Biology
• Public Speaking