AgroFresh names new CEO

AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. recently announced that Jordi Ferre, 51, will join the company as chief executive officer, effective October 1, 2016.

Ferre will replace Nance Dicciani and Stephen Trevor, AgroFresh board members who have served as interim co-CEOs since March 2016.

Ferre brings more than 25 years of international experience in the food ingredients industry, most recently serving as the chief operating officer for PureCircle Limited, a global leader in natural food ingredients, including stevia sweetener.  At PureCircle, he implemented strategic changes that resulted in double-digit revenue growth, manufacturing improvements and cost reductions.  He also was directly involved with key global customers and with the investment community.

"We are delighted to have someone with Jordi's international operational and marketing expertise join AgroFresh as we work to expand the reach of our existing technologies by crop and by geography, and to explore new opportunities in the food freshness market segment," said Board Chair Nance Dicciani.  "The breadth of Jordi's experience, coupled with his excellent interpersonal and communications skills made him stand out against a strong pool of potential candidates to lead AgroFresh into its next phase of growth."

Over the course of his career, Ferre has been responsible for operations, manufacturing, finance, and sales and marketing at organizations such as Tate & Lyle PLC, Wise Foods Inc., Chupa Chups Group, and Warner Lambert Company.  He has successfully repositioned and relaunched multiple global and regional brands to drive substantial sales growth.  Ferre also has extensive experience managing joint ventures and strategic alliances, and has been the primary contact for international food industry accounts for several companies.

"AgroFresh is at an important juncture as a newly public company, and I'm delighted to be able to work with this experienced team to further unlock its growth potential and diversify the company's offerings in the global market to preserve and enhance food freshness," Ferre said.