Agreena names Cameron McLain as Board Chair for soil company

Agreena has appointed Cameron McLain as Board Chair, succeeding founding Chair Jytte Rosenmaj.

The change comes as the Danish soil carbon company enters a new phase of commercial growth and international expansion.

McLain, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Giant Ventures, has served on Agreena's board since 2021, when he co-led the company's seed round. His appointment puts a long-serving investor and director at the head of the board as the business shifts from its early venture phase to a larger commercial footing.

Agreena's platform now covers about 5 million hectares of arable land across 20 European markets. The company works with farmers on regenerative agriculture and soil carbon projects, and sells carbon-related products to corporate buyers and supply chains.

Rosenmaj is stepping down after nearly a decade as Chair. She was involved from the company's early formation and helped shape its initial commercial direction, drawing on her background in agriculture.

The handover reflects a broader shift in Agreena's market position. After building one of Europe's larger soil carbon programmes, the company is placing greater emphasis on profitable growth, international reach and commercial scale.

Agreena's model centres on helping farmers adopt regenerative practices and measuring the resulting climate impact. Its main programme was the first large-scale cropland initiative verified under Verra's Verified Carbon Standard, according to the company.

That has placed Agreena in a fast-growing but closely watched market for nature-based carbon credits, where verification standards and measurement methods remain under scrutiny from buyers, regulators and environmental groups. Companies in the sector face pressure to prove that emissions claims are credible and that agricultural projects deliver measurable, lasting results.

Agreena uses digital measurement, reporting and verification tools, including satellite imagery and artificial intelligence, to track field-level outcomes. Its business model also includes financing support for farmers shifting to different land management practices.

Commenting on the transition, Simon Haldrup, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Agreena, said: "Jytte has been an extraordinary partner to Agreena since before we were even called Agreena. Her belief in Agreena has shaped the company from its earliest days, and I'm incredibly grateful for her leadership over the past decade. I'm equally excited to welcome Cameron into this role. He's been part of our journey since our seed round, and his experience helping ambitious companies grow will be invaluable as Agreena enters its next phase of commercial development."

Rosenmaj described Agreena's original mission as supporting farmers while building a more viable economic model for regenerative agriculture.

She said: "I joined Agreena to support the team in placing the farmer back in the centre of global agricultural developments, and to realise maybe the biggest opportunity of our generation - making regenerative agriculture economically viable for farmers. Watching the team turn that vision into one of Europe's leading soil carbon platforms has been incredibly rewarding. I'm incredibly proud of everything we've built together and look forward to seeing Cameron, Simon and the wider team continue to take Agreena to even greater heights."

McLain has worked with Agreena since its early fundraising and has seen the business grow from a small founding team into a broader European operation. His background at Giant Ventures includes backing technology companies from seed stage through expansion, aligning with Agreena's push to broaden its commercial base beyond its startup phase.

The board change also signals how climate and agricultural technology companies are adapting their governance as they mature. Founding chairs and early backers often give way to leaders with more experience in scaling operations, managing investor expectations and navigating more complex international markets.

For Agreena, that next phase will be shaped by the pace of farmer adoption of regenerative practices, the willingness of corporate customers to keep buying verified carbon outcomes, and the extent to which standards bodies continue tightening expectations around measurement and transparency.

McLain said: "Our soils can be one of the most powerful carbon sinks on the planet - if we get the economics and technology right for farmers. That has been Agreena's conviction from the beginning. I've had the privilege of working alongside Simon and the team since 2021 and have watched the company grow from three people into Europe's leading soil carbon platform. I'm honoured to become Chair and look forward to working with Simon, the Board and the wider team as we build one of Europe's defining climate technology companies."