Crop One strengthens leadership team with strategic hire of Chris Rowland as Chief Financial Officer

Crop One, an industry-leader in technology-driven indoor vertical farming, announced it has appointed Chris Rowland, CPA, MBA as chief financial officer, effective immediately. The news comes as Crop One continues to strengthen its leadership team, following the recent appointment of Craig Ratajczyk to chief executive officer in December 2020.

“Chris’ financial acumen, spanning Fortune 500 companies to high-growth startups, is precisely the type of business leader we need at Crop One during this transformative time for the company,” said Craig Ratajczyk, CEO. “With Chris on board, our growing leadership team is well positioned to reach our ambitious business and growth goals.”

Rowland’s career has focused on managing and advising both global and domestic companies through mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, turnarounds, and structured financings during his tenure at GE Capital, Citi, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is well-versed in overseeing financial details of startups, middle-market and large private and public companies across industries, including specialty finance, transportation, energy and biotechnology.

“Crop One’s entrepreneurial spirit, paired with its tremendous growth potential, presents an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Rowland of his new position. “I look forward to supporting the company’s continued growth and am excited about what the future holds for our growing team.”

Rowland received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Northeastern University and an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He will be based out of the company’s Millis, Mass. headquarters.