Ara Partners hires ex-Calyxt executive as operating partner

Ara Partners hired Manoj Sahoo as an operating partner. Sahoo previously worked for three years as chief commercial officer at plant-based technology company Calyxt. Sahoo also worked at Cargill for seven years focused on business development and commercial activities.

Press Release

Ara Partners, a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments, has hired Manoj Sahoo as Operating Partner. Mr. Sahoo brings more than 20 years of experience across commercial, operational, and technical functions in the food & agriculture sector.

“We’re very happy to add Manoj to the Ara Partners team,” said Cory Steffek, Managing Director of Ara Partners.” Manoj has a long and distinguished history as a prominent executive in food & agriculture. His experience leading growing, technology-focused organizations makes him an excellent fit for Ara Partners’ investment model, and we look forward to benefiting from his expertise and deep industry network.”

Mr. Sahoo most recently spent three years as Chief Commercial Officer at plant-based technology company Calyxt, where he successfully commercialized the company’s first product and was a core member of the IPO launch team. He previously spent seven years at Cargill, focused on business development and commercial activities, and was the commercial leader of the fermentation segment, with direct P&L responsibility. At Cargill, Mr. Sahoo led the enterprise global strategy team to triple the earnings of its bio-based portfolio in five years.

Mr. Sahoo holds a Bachelor of Engineering in chemical engineering from the National Institute of Technology Rourkela, and a Master of Business Administration from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

About Ara Partners
Ara Partners is a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments. Ara Partners invests in the industrial & manufacturing, chemicals & materials, energy efficiency & green fuels and food & agriculture sectors, seeking to build businesses that are focused on sustainability and ESG principles. For more information on Ara Partners, please visit www.AraPartners.com.