Yoon Joins South Korea Office, Christensen Bolsters Industry Relations Team

This week, the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) strengthened its domestic and international staffing by welcoming Kookhan Yoon as its new deputy director in South Korea and Ellen Christensen as manager of meetings and logistics.

Yoon joins the Council to help support and expand the organization's programming in the country, a vital export market for U.S. agricultural goods. He gained significant experience at CJ International, first as a trading manager based in Brazil before moving to Singapore to become trading director and head of Southeast Asia business. He also previously worked with aT Grain Company in Chicago alongside USGBC Director in South Korea Haksoo Kim.

"Having worked with Kookhan previously, I am confident that his expertise and international experience will help us strengthen partnerships in Korea, expand our established grain markets, and develop new demand for U.S. ethanol and other emerging products," said Kim.

Christensen's role in the Council's industry relations department will see her assist with organizing and running the Council's annual membership meetings. She most recently worked at the American Anthropological Association, where she supported its executive office and coordinated meetings, events, webinars and other executive activities. She holds a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of North Texas.

"Ellen will bring our department a great combination of organization, attention to detail, communication skills and enthusiasm for bringing people together," said Ellen S. Zimmerman, USGBC director of industry relations.

"I'm excited to welcome her to the team with open arms and look forward to the energy, fresh perspective and meeting expertise she will bring to our organization."

Please welcome Kookhan and Ellen to the Council!