Ensuring Innovation Leads to Impact: A Peek Behind the Curtain of Regulatory Affairs With Beth Patterson

At Envu, our purpose is to advance healthy environments for everyone everywhere. We achieve this by surrounding our customers with outcome-driven solutions that create meaningful impact. For us, no idea is off limits. Our 360º innovation model gives us the agility to source solutions across a range of pathways and build on the expertise of our partners to develop more novel value-added innovations for our customers’ biggest challenges.

However, bringing these innovative solutions safely and effectively to the market requires navigating complex global regulatory landscapes. This is where the often “behind-the-scenes” work of regulatory affairs becomes vital. Beth Patterson, global regulatory manager at Envu, highlights how her team is not a roadblock to innovation but a critical enabler of it.

Patterson's career journey has provided her with a unique global perspective, spanning roles in microbial biotechnology, environmental science, biotech, food, pharma and animal health across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Europe. This diverse background informs her current global role that differs significantly from country-level regulatory positions, which are essential for tailoring global strategies to local regulatory requirements.

“While country teams manage front-line submissions and liaise directly with authorities, my role involves steering the broader regulatory strategy, coordinating across regions and ensuring all global data requirements are met,” said Patterson

She collaborates closely with teams like solutions development, portfolio management and supply chain to enable timely product launches.

“A key aspect of maintaining alignment across regions with varied regulations is adhering to internationally recognized guidelines from bodies like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO),” continued Patterson.

Patterson's team evaluates country-specific requests based on their scientific basis and participates in industry associations like CropLife to promote harmonization and science-based decisions globally. This strategic approach, combined with deep regulatory knowledge, has been instrumental in major initiatives, including the transfer of over 2,000 product registrations from Bayer to Envu and, more recently, managing the Global Specialty Solutions (GSS) acquisition from FMC. These complex changes required meticulous coordination to ensure business continuity and global alignment.

While some may perceive regulation as a barrier to innovation, Patterson sees it as a necessary function to protect product safety and steward innovation responsibly. By involving the regulatory team early in the process, she explains that they can help overcome challenges and find new pathways forward.

“Regulatory affairs acts as a crucial thread connecting nearly every function within Envu,” said Patterson. “It collaborates extensively with portfolio management, formulation technology, solutions development, supply chain and quality control. This ensures that all innovations are safe, compliant and ready for market, ultimately exemplifying the Envu innovation model.” For Patterson, the diversity of regulatory challenges and the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across cultures and geographies is the most rewarding part of her global role. This global connectedness fuels her ability to contribute different perspectives and help bring innovative solutions to customers worldwide.

Beth Patterson's work exemplifies how expertise in regulatory affairs is foundational to Envu. By ensuring safety and compliance while strategically navigating global landscapes, the regulatory team enables Envu to bring “chemistry and beyond” solutions to market that help our customers solve challenges while balancing the needs of society and nature