Team EN - Alver World SA

For over 20 years, Mine Uran has been searching for the perfect alternative to animal protein. As a food engineer, Mine led teams at Unilever and DuPont, among others, and finally as Head of Protein at Nestlé. As a globally recognised protein expert, her initial focus was on plant proteins, such as those from soy or peas. However, due to the high demand for arable land and water, Mine finally realised that the path to sustainable nutrition could only be taken by the oldest living creatures on earth: microalgae. So Mine left Nestlé and founded Alver together with Majbritt Byskov-Bridges. Their aim is to provide healthy and sustainable food for the society of today and tomorrow. “I have a lot of faith in the young and have no doubt that future generations will be able to cope with the environmental problems. This can already be seen in the conscious handling of their own food. We want to support this striving for more sustainable eating habits and contribute to the food security of the future with our products”, Mine describes her goals with Alver.

Majbritt Byskov-Bridges
Co-founder | COO

Raised in Ecuador and Switzerland, Majbritt studied in Copenhagen, Paris, Glasgow and Oxford. After graduating, Majbritt began her career on the trading floor at Morgan Stanley in London. She later moved on to Deloitte in strategy consulting and finally headed the Guardian Wealth Management Office in Switzerland for ten years. In her search for sustainable, environmentally friendly and ethical investment opportunities for her clients, she got to know 2012 Mine and quickly became convinced of Alver’s potential. Together with Mine, Majbritt finally took the plunge into entrepreneurship: “I am convinced that small companies are capable of driving innovation and thereby bringing about the change needed for a healthier planet. To play our part in this change, Mine and I founded Alver. With our two backgrounds, Mine, as an experienced scientist, and I, as an economist, with experience in investor relations, we will make Alver a success”.

Gabriella Bracher
CFO

Raised in the US and Switzerland, Gabriella finished her studies in Lausanne HEC with a Master in Economics. After 10 years as an internal auditor, SOX and fraud specialist for groups such as Adecco, Axa and Bombardier and extensively travelling the world, Gabriella decided for her family’s sake to settle. While working as a Financial Controller for Urtun, the first Swiss startup to raise extensive financing, she also turned entrepreneur and founded several companies one of which a fiduciaire who’s vision is to help young entrepreneurs in the first stages of their enterprise. She was delighted to join Alver’s team loving the vision of innovative sustainable nutrition and the dynamic of the two founders.

Dr. Vladas Snieckus
Sales Director

After more than 20 years of sales experience in the pharmaceutical and food industry, Vladas decided to leave the giants of the food industry to support a young, agile and innovative company with its knowledge. Vladas holds a PhD in medicine and a master’s degree in business management. The vision of the two founders convinced him to commit himself to a sustainable nutrition of the world population. For Vladas, it is crucial to combine innovation and sustainability in order to guarantee food safety in the long term. “Alternative sources of protein and meat-free nutrition are already highly valued today. But that alone is not enough. The future lies in sustainable superfoods, i.e. foods that contain many important nutrients but rely on minimal resources for production,” says Vladas, describing his motivation to actively support Alver.

Galina Bezrukich
CCO

Galina recently joined Alver and brings a wealth of experience gained over 10 years in international marketing & ecommerce, leading premium food and mass beauty brands. Galina graduated with a MBA in Paris, fashion business management. She has always been passionate about innovations & trends. Following an interview with the two founders, Galina believed in the company vision – to provide healthy and sustainable food for the society of today and tomorrow.

“As an ex-professional tennis player, nutrition has been my discipline since childhood. Active lifestyle, health and fitness is in my nature. It is something I love and want to share”, says Galina.

Ana Mihelić
Digital Marketing Manager

Originally from Croatia, Ana grew up abroad, graduated from école hôtelière de Lausanne and then left the hospitality industry to pursue issues that are close to her heart. She wants to educate people about a more sustainable, nutritious and healthier lifestyle. In addition to her work in the hospitality industry, Ana has also gained experience in marketing for start-ups that specialize in food and events.

“I was impressed with Alver and the use of microalgae, which contain the most sustainable proteins on the planet, and most importantly, how easy they are to use. The resulting product offers so many possibilities that I just had to be a part of it! As the world moves on and people look for more alternative sources of protein, Alver will continue to grow and expand as we educate people about what matters most – which is to gradually save our planet. “

Aslin Sarikaya
Research & Developoment Manager

After working as a dietitian, Aslin decided to merge her nutritional background with food science and got a master’s degree in Food, Nutrition, and Health. During her scientific studies at Bern University of Applied Sciences, Aslin focused more on alternative protein sources to understand better how to feed the future population without harming the environment. Aslin believes in the idea of Chlorella being a future protein source as a superfood like the founders Mine and Majbritt. Aslin describes her motivation for working in Alver as: “I was amazed by all the innovative Alver products consisting of a sustainable protein source rich in nutrients. I appreciate being a part of the company, which promises good food for everyone, to be involved in the hidden part of the iceberg. The merge of research, development, and production in an ambitious small company is a great chance to use creativity for expanding the business. I am excited to participate in various projects from the idea to the end-product every day under the roof of Alver.”

Houman Soleimani
Business Excellence Manager

Houman is supporting our mission in different areas of business management by bringing more operational efficiency and sustainability based on his diverse set of knowledge and experiences. He has gained a Business Administration masters degree in Politecnico di Milano and he is extremely interested in food sustainable solutions.

“It was really interesting to me when I found Alver’s exciting vision so close to my beliefs and attitudes, then I decided to join in their mission and play my role in helping them to grow sustainable food solutions globally. It is very enjoyable when you work in an environment where all are winners and there is no loser.”

Jérôme Variola
Business Excellence Associate Manager

Currently studying at the École Hôtélière de Lausanne, Jérôme is passionate about the food and beverage sector and is also fascinated by sports nutrition.

“Being a fan and follower of various types of food supplements, the alternative products that Alver offers are a very interesting option for people who want to change their habits. I am convinced that alternative and vegetable protein sources are the future for the health of people and the planet.”

Our Team

With expertise, ambition and heart

Find out more

Payment methods