Dr. Mark Walton joined the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) Ag and Environment section in 2024 and supports BIOs policy work with its members in the animal, plant, and microbial segments. Before joining BIO, Mark worked at AquaBounty Technologies from 2017 through 2024 as Global Director of Regulatory Affairs and Chief Technology Officer leading Regulatory and Research functions. Under his leadership, AquaBounty obtained regulatory approval to produce the genetically engineered AquAdvantage Salmon at the company's grow out facility in the United States, to expand operations at its Canadian facilities, and for AquAdvantage Salmon in Brazil. Mark is deeply involved in the on-going discussions between industry and governments on the regulation of genetically engineered livestock and played an active role in obtaining the Cloning Risk Assessment and the Guidance on Regulation of Genetically Engineered Animals from the US Food and Drug Administration. He has organized or co-organized three international workshops on the regulation of animal biotechnology that have stimulated development of risk assessment frameworks for genetically engineered fish and livestock in several countries. Dr. Walton has worked in agriculture and ag biotechnology for over 40 years and has held multiple leadership roles, including President of ViaGen, a leading animal cloning company; Chief Business Officer for Recombinetics, the company that developed Polled Holstein cattle using TALEN gene editing technology; and Executive Vice-President for Research and Technology at RiceTec, a global hybrid rice seed company. He began his career in agriculture biotechnology in the 1980s and in 1990 started Linkage Genetics, the first DNA testing company to provide molecular marker services to plant and animal breeders. He earned a Ph.D. in Agronomy from the University of Nebraska ' Lincoln.