Juan Sartori
Juan Sartori is co-founder of Union Acquisition Group and has served as our non-executive Chairman of the Board since December 2018. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Union I from November 2017 until it completed its merger with Bioceres in March 2019. Mr. Sartori is the Chairman and founder of Union Group, a privately owned investment and private equity management firm with significant strategic Latin American interests. These cover the agricultural, energy, forestry, infrastructure, minerals, oil & gas and real estate sectors. Mr. Sartori established Union Group in 2007. In 2008, he formed UAG, one of the first companies affiliated with Union Group to consolidate agricultural assets. UAG has grown to become the largest agricultural company in Uruguay, and one of the biggest in Latin America, with a subsidiary listed on the Montevideo Stock Exchange. Since its incorporation, Union Group and its subsidiaries have performed numerous transactions across Latin America, growing its portfolio of businesses of private and public companies. Mr. Sartori is a regular speaker about Latin American issues in worldwide conferences and media. Mr. Sartori began his career as a financial services entrepreneur in 2002 launching Union Capital Group, a Geneva based multi-strategy asset manager, selling its control in 2008. In December 2018, Mr. Sartori announced his candidacy for Presidency of Uruguay and placed second in the National Party primary, winning 23% of the vote. Juan currently serves in the Uruguayan senate. Mr. Sartori received a Bachelor Degree in Business and Economics from École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Lausanne.
Daniel Mudd
Daniel H. Mudd is an independent director of Union Acquisition Group. Dan is an owner and board member of Gore Street Energy Storage Fund, an investment advisor of public and private investment funds. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Fortress Investment Group LLC (NYSE: FIG), a hedge fund, from August 2009 through December 2011. Previously, Mr. Mudd served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Fannie Mae, the nation’s largest financer of home mortgages. Mr. Mudd was also a member of the Fannie Mae Board of Directors. Prior to serving as Chief Executive Officer of Fannie Mae, Mr. Mudd served as the Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Fannie Mae. As Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Mudd was responsible for originations, marketing, operations, systems, local outreach and administration. Prior to joining Fannie Mae in February 2000, Mr. Mudd served as President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Capital, Japan. During his career at GE Capital, Mr. Mudd served in Business Development, International Financing and European Fleet Services. He served as President of GE Capital Asia-Pacific from 1996 to 1999. Prior to his tenure at GE Capital, Mr. Mudd held positions in management consulting and financial services with Xerox Corporation, Ayers Whitmore and Company, and the World Bank. Mr. Mudd holds a B.A. in American History from the University of Virginia and a Masters in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University. Mr. Mudd serves on the board of Hampton University. We believe Mr. Mudd’s extensive credit and management expertise, extensive experience as an officer and director of public companies provide him with skills and valuable insight that make him well qualified to serve on our Board.
Tarkan Gurkan
Tarkan V. Gurkan is an independent director of Union Acquisition Group. He also serves as Senior Vice President of Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions at PepsiCo, where he is responsible for leading, sourcing and executing mergers and acquisitions and partnership transactions since 2010. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Mr. Gurkan held positions at Campbell Soup Company and at Lehman Brothers, where he was a Senior Vice President at its Global Consumer and Retail Group, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions for global food and beverage companies. Over his career, Mr. Gurkan executed over 140 merger and acquisition and financing transactions, including transactions involving emerging markets. Further, Mr. Gurkan has overseen SPAC mergers, managed activist defense strategies, performed enterprise-wide portfolio transformation to drive shareholder value and developed an extensive, global network of relationships. Mr. Gurkan received a Master of Business Administration from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey. We believe Mr. Gurkan’s extensive experience in mergers, acquisitions, and financing transactions in emerging markets (including SPAC mergers), provide him with skills and valuable insight that make him well qualified to serve on our Board.
Joseph Schena
Joseph J. Schena has served as a director since December 2018. He also served as a director of Union I from December 2017 until it completed its merger with Bioceres in March 2019. Mr. Schena has served as a principal and co-founder of PTW Capital since June 2017. Mr. Schena served as the Chief of Staff at Cohen Enterprises focused on C&S Wholesale Grocers and Warehouse Technologies from November 2015 until April 2019. Previously, Mr. Schena served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at C&S Wholesale Grocers. Prior to C&S Mr. Schena was Chief Financial Officer of Bacardi Limited. from October 2012 to September 2014. Previously, Mr. Schena served as an Operating Partner at Centerview from 2007 to 2012 and was involved in the $5.5 billion privatization of Del Monte Foods and the acquisition of Richelieu Foods. Prior to Centerview, Mr. Schena served in various senior financial positions at Gillette from 2001 to 2007 where he was Chief Financial Officer of the Gillette business unit after the sale to P&G and Kraft/Nabisco from 1980 to 2000. Mr. Schena currently serves as a director of Warehouse Technologies, an automated warehousing company located in Wilmington, MA. He also serves as a director of Conyers Park II Acquisition Corp., a blank check company seeking to consummate an initial business combination with a target business in the consumer sector. Mr. Schena received an MBA in Finance and a BBA in Accounting from Iona College.
Gerald Haddock
Gerald W. Haddock has served as a director since December 2018. He also served as a director of Union I from December 2017 until it completed its merger with Bioceres in March 2019. Mr. Haddock founded Haddock Enterprises, LLC in 2000 and has served as its President since such time. Haddock Enterprises is an entrepreneurial development company concentrating on private investments and transactions, including oil and gas and real estate, located in Fort Worth, Texas. Mr. Haddock formerly served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Crescent Real Estate Equities Company, a diversified real estate investment trust, from 1994 to 1999. Mr. Haddock served as a director of ENSCO International, Plc., a leading global offshore oil and gas drilling service company, from 1986 to 2019. As a director for ENSCO, he has served as its co-lead director and Chairperson of the Audit Committee and is also a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee. He has also served as a director of Meritage Homes Corporation, a real estate development company that constructs single-family detached homes across the United States as well as active adult communities and luxury real estate in Arizona, since 2005 and has served as Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee since 2006 and as a member of the Audit Committee since 2009. Mr. Haddock is a former board member of Cano Petroleum, Inc., having served from December 2004 to October 2008. He also serves on the board of trustees and is a member of various committees for the Executive Investment Committee at Baylor University, the M.D. Anderson Proton Therapy Education and Research Foundation, the CEELI Institute and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation. Mr. Haddock received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Baylor University and his J.D. from Baylor University Law School. He also has received a Masters of Law in Taxation degree from New York University School of Law and a MBA from Dallas Baptist University.
Larry Bodner
Larry Bodner has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Sovos Brands, a food and beverage company seeking to acquire brands, since February 2017. From March 2016 to February 2017, Mr. Bodner served as a Senior Advisor at Advent International in its global retail, consumer and leisure team. Mr. Bodner served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Big Heart Pet Brands (formerly Del Monte Foods) from 2011 through July 2015. He joined Del Monte Foods in 2003 and served the company for 12 years in increasing levels of responsibility across the Finance and Operations functions. Prior to Del Monte Foods, Mr. Bodner also held senior financial positions at Walt Disney Company, as well as The Procter & Gamble Company. Mr. Bodner served on the board of directors of Hearthside Foods, a leading bakery, snack and customized solutions contract manufacturer for packaged food products in North America and Europe, from April 2015 to May 2018. He currently serves on the board of directors of Hostess Brands, Inc.