Alec Willis

Alec Willis has a strong background in regulatory affairs and project management in the field of plant protection products and chemicals. Alec started their career as a Scientific Officer/Higher Scientific Officer at the Pesticides Safety Directorate in 1998. Alec then worked at Defra as a Communications Officer in the Livestock Data Division from 2005 to 2006. Alec joined Exponent in 2006 and held various roles, including Regulatory Project Manager and Managing Regulatory Scientist (Plant Protection Products) before leaving in 2018. At Exponent, they focused on project management, regulatory documentation, and providing regulatory guidance for pesticide active substances and products under EU legislation. Alec also worked as a Senior REACH Regulatory Specialist and REACH Regulatory Specialist, managing multi-disciplinary REACH projects and providing regulatory strategy and guidance for chemicals covered by REACH.

From 2018 to 2021, Alec worked as a Global Regulatory Affairs Manager at ADAMA AGRICULTURAL SOLUTIONS UK LTD, where they were responsible for global regulatory management of nominated active substances. Alec developed and implemented global regulatory strategies, managed registration data packages, resolved regulatory problems, and oversaw registration dossier production. Alec also managed the financial aspects of regulatory actions and ensured that global regulatory strategies incorporated changes in legislation.

Alec then joined Gowan Crop Protection Limited in 2021 as a Regulatory Product Scientist in EUMEA Regulatory Affairs. There, they managed nominated active substances for EUMEA regulatory compliance, including developing regulatory strategies, generating registration data packages, and overseeing registration dossier production. Alec also provided support to EUMEA regulatory country managers and served as the regulatory country manager for the UK and Ireland, preparing and submitting registration dossiers.

Most recently, Alec is working at Exponent as a Senior Managing Scientist - Plant Protection Products, starting in 2023. In this role, they are responsible for project management of regulator pesticide projects, including financial management. Alec also prepares and coordinates regulatory documentation to support the registration of pesticide active substances and plant protection products under EU legislation. Additionally, Alec provides regulatory strategy and guidance to clients on regulatory issues for pesticide active substances and plant protection products in the EU.

Alec Willis completed their Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Applied Biology from Liverpool John Moores University, where they studied from 1990 to 1994. Alec then pursued further education at the University of Liverpool, where they obtained their Ph.D. in Genetics of Herbicide Resistance from 1994 to 1997.