HydRegen Welcomes Kevin Matthews as Chair to Drive the Next Chapter of Growth
HydRegen is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Matthews as its new Chair. At the same time, HydRegen expresses deep gratitude to its co-founder and outgoing Chair, Will Barton, whose leadership has been fundamental to the company’s journey since its inception.
Strengthening the Board for the Next Phase of Growth
With over two decades of leadership in the global chemical industry, Kevin combines a deep understanding of the sector with proven experience in scaling innovative businesses, guiding boards and governance, and leading successful corporate transactions including fundraising, M&A and IPOs.
His career spans CEO and non-executive positions at early-stage technology companies through to leading multinational companies, mostly in advanced materials and specialty chemicals. Alongside his corporate leadership, Kevin contributes to the wider industry through his positions as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and on the board of trustees at the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
“I’m thrilled to accept the role of Chair at HydRegen,” said Kevin Matthews. “HydRegen’s unique integration of biology with established chemical manufacturing infrastructure offers a compelling and practical path toward more cost-effective chemical processes whilst supporting the move to a greener and safer chemical industry. I look forward to supporting the team as they further accelerate innovation and scale.”
Kevin brings both technical depth and commercial expertise to HydRegen at a pivotal moment in its growth.
Celebrating Will Barton’s Lasting Contribution and Continuing Role
Since joining HydRegen’s founding team in 2013, Will has been a vital mentor, adviser, connector and supporter to founders Kylie Vincent and Holly Reeve. Through his guidance, introductions and unwavering support, Will has played an instrumental role in shaping HydRegen’s development and positioning the company for growth and impact. Although stepping down as Chair, he will continue to contribute to HydRegen’s success in a Non-Executive Director capacity.
“I’m honoured to have been part of HydRegen’s transformation from early vision to reality,” said Will Barton. “Working with Kylie and Holly all these years, and, over the last four years with the growing Board team, has been immensely rewarding. I look forward to continuing to support them all as a committed and engaged Non-Executive Director.”
What’s next for HydRegen
HydRegen continues to focus on delivering its first customer processes, with paracetamol manufacturing currently taking centre stage. The company’s biology team is producing increasing volumes of material while advancing new enzyme development, unlocking step changes that expand future opportunities. At the same time, the chemistry team has recently achieved a major breakthrough, surpassing previous performance benchmarks for the paracetamol process.
The company is also progressing its second customer collaboration in hair dyes, which is moving into the next phase ahead of schedule, while additional feasibility tests with pipeline customers point to a strong trajectory of future growth.
“We are at an incredibly exciting stage in HydRegen’s journey,” said Holly Reeve, CEO of HydRegen. “I want to thank Will for his years of wisdom and guidance, which have shaped us into the company we are today, and to warmly welcome Kevin, whose leadership experience and vision will be invaluable as we take our next steps.”
“Thanks to the dedication of our biology, chemistry and engineering teams, we are hitting key technical milestones that are opening new opportunities with customers in pharmaceuticals, hair dyes and beyond. With the continued dedication of our teams and the strengthened leadership, HydRegen is exceptionally well-positioned to deliver on our mission to make chemical manufacturing greener, safer and more cost-effective.”
About HydRegen
HydRegen Ltd is redefining chemical manufacturing with a breakthrough biocatalytic platform that delivers cleaner, more cost-effective production processes. Its proprietary Bio2Amine technology replaces traditional hydrogenation methods and delivers up to 40–50% cost savings, integrating directly into existing infrastructure without requiring changes. By replacing traditional hydrogenation with a plug-and-play technology, HydRegen is helping clients across the chemical and speciality ingredients sectors reduce emissions, improve process efficiency and accelerate the transition to sustainable manufacturing.
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