Cereplast Appoints Michael Okada as Chief Accounting Officer and Interim Chief  Financial Officer 
  EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Feb 13, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Cereplast, Inc.  (CERP), a leading manufacturer of proprietary biobased, sustainable plastics,  today announced the appointment of Mr. Michael Okada as Vice President, Chief  Accounting Officer and interim Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.  Mr. Okada replaces Heather E. Sheehan, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial  Officer, who is leaving the Company effective February 29, 2012 to accept another  opportunity. 
  Mr. Okada has served a fundamental role in the company's financial operations  since he joined the Company in April 2011 as Vice President and Corporate  Controller, providing strength and continuity to the finance department.  "Everyone from the management team to the board of directors have the utmost  confidence in Mr. Okada to succeed in his new role, and to provide a seamless  transition throughout this period," said Cereplast Chairman and CEO Mr. Frederic  Scheer. Prior to Cereplast, Mr. Okada served as Vice President of Finance,  Corporate Controller for Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. in Newport Beach, CA, where  he was responsible for general and international accounting, SEC reporting, and  Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance. Mr. Okada has more than 20 years of experience in  senior executive roles, leading accounting and finance departments for both  private and public rapid-growth companies with a proven track record of success.  He received his Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Santa Clara University and  is a Certified Public Accountant. 
  Mr. Scheer stated, "I am very pleased to announce the promotion of Michael Okada  as our new Chief Accounting Officer and interim Chief Financial Officer. Michael  is a highly experienced executive with strong financial and operational  expertise. He has been a key member of our senior management team and he has  earned my confidence in his ability to manage our finance department. Our team  will remain strong during this transition." Mr. Scheer continued, "We appreciate  Ms. Sheehan's contributions to the Company and wish her success in her new  endeavors." 
  "This is an exciting time for the Company, and I look forward to leveraging my  knowledge and experience to support the growth and strengthening market position  of the Company," said Mr. Okada. "With the recent globalization of our  operations, and the favorable macro-economic environment for green initiatives,  Cereplast is well positioned to capitalize on the growth and demand for  bioplastics world-wide." 
  About Cereplast, Inc. 
  Cereplast, Inc. (CERP) designs and manufactures proprietary biobased, sustainable  bioplastics which are used as substitutes for traditional plastics in all major  converting processes - such as injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding and  extrusions - at a pricing structure that is competitive with traditional  plastics. On the cutting-edge of biobased plastic material development, Cereplast  now offers resins to meet a variety of customer demands. Cereplast  Compostables(R) Resins are ideally suited for single-use applications where high  biobased content and compostability are advantageous, especially in the food  service industry. Cereplast Sustainables(R) Resins combine high biobased content  with the durability and endurance of traditional plastic, making them ideal for  applications in industries such as automotive, consumer electronics and  packaging. Learn more at cereplast.com. You may also visit the  Cereplast social networking pages at Facebook.com/Cereplast,  Twitter.com/Cereplast and Youtube.com/Cereplastinc. |