Industry Veteran and Award-Winning CEO, Mark Barnekow, Brings Deep Supply Chain, Food Industry, and Technology Experience
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Fresh Foods (www.globalfreshfoods.com), the company that naturally extends the shelf life of fresh food, today announced that Mark Barnekow has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer. Mark will be responsible for leading the company as it expands globally to meet the demand for the company's innovative oxygen management system - SAF-D® (Safe and Fresh Distribution).
Mark is a veteran CEO with significant experience in applying new technologies to the food industry. Previously, he served as president and CEO of foodservice industry technology provider, Amphire Solutions. Following Amphire's sale to private equity firm Accel/KKR, and subsequent merger with iTradeNetwork (ITN), Mark became president of mergers and acquisitions and international for ITN. In 2008, under Mark's leadership, Amphire was recognized as one of the top 50 fastest growing companies in Silicon Valley. In the same year, Mark was the recipient of the San Francisco Business Times' Most Admired CEO award.
Adam Anders, Board Member and Managing Director of Rabo Ventures said, "Mark brings a combination of deep retail and consumer product goods industry experience, internet supply chain, and strategic skills to Global Fresh Foods. Mark is extremely well positioned to leverage his previous experiences to guide Global Fresh Foods through this exciting period in the company's evolution. He has a proven ability to manage rapid growth by building lasting, long-term customer relationships and delivering financial results through operational execution."
"I am excited to be joining Global Fresh Foods at this critical juncture in the company's evolution", said Mark. "Global Fresh Foods' technology is at a stage where the company can pursue full-scale commercialization. We are shipping product weekly with Slade Gordon and I look forward to advancing our market position through a strategic partnering approach with seafood buyers in Asia, North America and Europe."
Peter Shannon, Board Member and Managing Director of Firelake Capital said, "We truly value Mark's ability to execute mission critical businesses and look forward to having him build a world class team of scientists, technologists and commercialization experts to take Global Fresh Foods to the next level."
About Global Fresh Foods
Based in San Francisco, California with operations in Talcahuano, Chile, Global Fresh Foods provides naturally extended shelf-life technology that has revolutionized the fresh proteins supply chains worldwide. The company'sSAF-D® technology system uses its patented oxygen management techniques to create and maintain an all-natural controlled atmosphere environment that extends the shelf life of perishable proteins. This breakthrough technology allows suppliers of fresh protein products to ship by ocean rather than more expensive airfreight and still deliver a fresh, high quality product to customers. For more information, visit www.globalfreshfoods.com.
About Rabo Ventures
Rabo Ventures is a venture capital investment fund dedicated to investing in innovative, high growth companies across the food and agriculture value chain. Rabo Ventures supports its portfolio companies by leveraging the contacts, knowledge and financial strength of Rabobank. Rabobank is a +600bln leading international bank to the food and agribusiness sectors. For more information, visit www.raboventures.com.
About Firelake Capital
Firelake Capital is an early-stage clean-tech investor with a long-term investment horizon. Firelake aims to solve the world's most pressing problems through transformational, rather than incremental, change. Firelake invests in areas where the firm believes new technologies or even an early-stage idea can significantly change the economics of current markets in areas like alternative energy, water, material sciences, and global supply chains. For more information, visit www.firelakecapital.com.
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