Calibre One Assists Cibus with CEO Search
August 31, 2026 – Calibre One has helped to recruit board member Craig Wichner as the new CEO for NASDAQ-traded Cibus, Inc. in San Diego, CA. Peter Beetham, who has served as the company’s interim CEO, will continue his role as the company’s president and chief operating officer. Concurrently, both Mr. Wichner and Dr. Beetham resigned from the Cibus board of directors as part of this reorganization and plan.
“When Craig joined the board, we recognized his exceptional combination of financial acumen, strategic discipline, and industry insight and leadership,” said Mark Finn, chairman of the board. “With his proven track record of delivering results and creating value, and his demonstrated leadership capabilities, including through his time on the board, we are confident Craig is the right person to lead Cibus forward in our next stage as we focus on the execution of the company’s near-term commercialization targets. Craig’s experience will be invaluable as we also execute our capital strategy to drive longer-term value creation through realization of our vision for the future of agriculture.”
“It is a pivotal moment for Cibus and I believe Cibus is fortunate to have Craig lead us into this next phase of growth and I am excited to work with him,” Dr. Beetham added.
Mr. Wichner is the founder and managing partner of Farmland LP, a U.S. farmland investment management firm with more than $350 million in assets and over 19,000 acres under management. Since founding the firm in 2009, he has been a recognized leader in demonstrating how regenerative and organic farming practices can drive both strong financial performance and measurable environmental outcomes. His background spans technology, real estate investment, and agribusiness development.
“When I joined the board last November, I saw a company with breakthrough technology and a clear path to put it to work,” said Mr. Wichner. “My immediate focus is execution: getting Cibus’ improved traits into customers’ hands, converting our near-term commercialization targets into revenue, and maintaining the capital discipline to get there. Cibus is at a pivot point of real opportunity, and I am honored to lead it.”
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Cibus is an agricultural biotechnology company focused on developing gene-edited plant traits for major global crops. The company uses its proprietary precision-breeding technologies to develop characteristics such as disease resistance, herbicide tolerance, improved yields, and greater resilience to environmental conditions.
25 Years’ Experience of Building Leadership Teams
Calibre One is a boutique executive search firm with more than 25 years’ experience building leadership teams for technology companies and innovation-led organizations across financial services, healthcare & life sciences, consumer, sports & entertainment, and industrials & infrastructure. Founded in 1999, the firm operates from London, San Francisco, and New York, combining global reach, deep sector expertise, and a partner-led approach. Calibre One delivers the scale, specialist networks, and international capability of a larger search firm while maintaining the agility and personal service of a boutique.
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Tom Barnes is one of the two founding partners of Calibre One and is based in both San Francisco and London. He is responsible for ensuring that the founding principles of the business govern our activities and that our reputation continues to remain at the forefront of our industry. Mr. Barnes serves as managing partner and co-head technology practice.
James Brocket is a co-founder and managing partner of Calibre One and co-leads the firm’s activities in the EMEA region, based out of London. With over 20 years of experience, his major focus has been on recruiting at board, and C-level for businesses headquartered in Europe. He works closely with the private equity community and is a trusted advisor to a number of funds. Mr. Brocket has also managed a vast number of leadership assignments for US companies across the EMEA region.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
