Empowering great people and enabling them to build great businesses is the key to creating enduring value.
Paul Fribourg, Chairman & CEO
Empowering great people and enabling them to build great businesses is the key to creating enduring value.
Paul Fribourg, Chairman & CEO
Empowering great people and enabling them to build great businesses is the key to creating enduring value.
Paul Fribourg, Chairman & CEO
The Conti Way
Our approach to talent goes well beyond our employee base and extends into our vast network of partners, advisors, and broader professional and personal networks. Our long- term horizon and permanent capital base offer our team members entrepreneurial opportunities without having to take on entrepreneurial risks. Our track record illustrates how our people succeed by taking on big responsibility with the support of a strong network and infrastructure.
Continuity
We make sound strategic decisions that move us forward
Ownership
We own our actions and results
Network
We work together to add value through our global relationships
Talent
We attract and develop top talent
Integrity
Our word is our bond
The Conti Way
Our approach to talent goes well beyond our employee base and extends into our vast network of partners, advisors, and broader professional and personal networks. Our long- term horizon and permanent capital base offer our team members entrepreneurial opportunities without having to take on entrepreneurial risks. Our track record illustrates how our people succeed by taking on big responsibility with the support of a strong network and infrastructure.
Continuity
"For us to flourish for over 200 years, we had to be adaptable and at the same time stay true to our deep-rooted values and beliefs, passed from generation to generation. During my 26 years with Conti I’ve had the opportunity to grow in different People and Technology roles and have seen first-hand how we manage to continually reinvent ourselves while staying true to who we are."
-Joe Bongiorno, Vice President, Compensation and Benefits
Continuity
"For us to flourish for over 200 years, we had to be adaptable and at the same time stay true to our deep-rooted values and beliefs, passed from generation to generation. During my 26 years with Conti I’ve had the opportunity to grow in different People and Technology roles and have seen first-hand how we manage to continually reinvent ourselves while staying true to who we are."
-Joe Bongiorno, Vice President, Compensation and Benefits
Ownership
“At Conti, we work with leading entrepreneurs and management teams in the food and ag space globally. From helping local Chinese farmers manage their animal nutrition needs, to opening doors and providing on-the-ground support in China for our US and Latin America-based partners, our sense of ownership is reflected in how we work alongside them to help achieve their strategic goals.”
- Yin Chen, Managing Director, Conti Asia
Ownership
“At Conti, we work with leading entrepreneurs and management teams in the food and ag space globally. From helping local Chinese farmers manage their animal nutrition needs, to opening doors and providing on-the-ground support in China for our US and Latin America-based partners, our sense of ownership is reflected in how we work alongside them to help achieve their strategic goals.”
- Yin Chen, Managing Director, Conti Asia
Network
"We dedicate a lot of our time to building meaningful networks which takes intentional and consistent effort. Food and agriculture is such a huge global industry that we cannot succeed without our partners who are like-minded investors and operators. We see day in, day out just how powerful the network effect is. It drives commercial and investment opportunities as well as access to talent, and it cannot be replicated without years of trust and relationships.”
- Brian Loeb, Co-Head, Conti Ventures
Network
"We dedicate a lot of our time to building meaningful networks which takes intentional and consistent effort. Food and agriculture is such a huge global industry that we cannot succeed without our partners who are like-minded investors and operators. We see day in, day out just how powerful the network effect is. It drives commercial and investment opportunities as well as access to talent, and it cannot be replicated without years of trust and relationships.”
- Chris Abbott & Brian Loeb, Co-Heads, Conti Ventures
Talent
“When my grandfather Michael Fribourg sold our grain business, the question he cared most about was what would happen to the people. Being a people-first organization is part of Conti’s heritage and something that I want to carry with us for many decades to come. At Conti we strive for strong returns while we invest in people – our colleagues, partners and management teams we invest behind – to help them grow alongside the firm. Our long-term growth mindset and approach equally apply to talent and partners because they have helped make Conti successful for seven generations and continue to drive us forward.”
- Jordana Fribourg, Chief Talent Officer
Talent
“When my grandfather Michael Fribourg sold our grain business, the question he cared most about was what would happen to the people. Being a people-first organization is part of Conti’s heritage and something that I want to carry with us for many decades to come. At Conti we strive for strong returns while we invest in people – our colleagues, partners and management teams we invest behind – to help them grow alongside the firm. Our long-term growth mindset and approach equally apply to talent and partners because they have helped make Conti successful for seven generations and continue to drive us forward.”
- Jordana Fribourg, Chief Talent Officer
Integrity
“I joined Conti in 2019 and go into the market every day to identify businesses and teams with which to partner. What really stands out to me is how our values and long-term horizon influence how we work and partner. Once we make a commitment, we hold to it even when times get tough. In the food and agribusiness industry where deals used to be, and sometimes still are, done on words and handshakes rather than contracts, doing what’s right for our businesses and the people who work there still drives us today. Our long-term reputation is more important than any one individual deal or situation."
- Fritz von Guionneau, Co-head, Conti Direct Investments
Integrity
“I joined Conti in 2019 and go into the market every day to identify businesses and teams with which to partner. What really stands out to me is how our values and long-term horizon influence how we work and partner. Once we make a commitment, we hold to it even when times get tough. In the food and agribusiness industry where deals used to be, and sometimes still are, done on words and handshakes rather than contracts, doing what’s right for our businesses and the people who work there still drives us today. Our long-term reputation is more important than any one individual deal or situation."
- Fritz von Guionneau, Co-head, Conti Direct Investments
Join our team
We invite you to apply to one of our open roles! If you don't see a role that's right for you, please submit your résumé to the Talent Community, and we'll be in touch with future opportunities.
Join our team
We invite you to apply to one of our open roles! If you don't see a role that's right for you, please submit your résumé to the Talent Community, and we'll be in touch with future opportunities.
- Management
- Board of Directors
- Conti Direct Investments
- Conti Ventures
- Conti Asia
- Value Creation
- Corporate
Management Team
Paul Fribourg* Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Paul J. Fribourg is our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to taking the helm of Conti, he held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility—from Merchandiser and Product Line Manager to Group President and Chief Operating Officer. Paul serves as the Lead Independent Director of Loews Corporation, and as a Board Member of The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc., Syngenta Group Co., Ltd., and Wayne-Sanderson Farms LLC. He is also a Member of the Rabobank International North American Agribusiness Advisory Board, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Temasek Americas Advisory Panel, and the International Business Leaders Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai. Paul graduated Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College with a Bachelor of Arts degree and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Ari Gendason* Chief Investment Officer
Ari Gendason is our Chief Investment Officer. Ari joined Conti in 2004 and has been involved in many of our investments in the food and agriculture sector over that time. He currently oversees a portfolio of both public and private food and ag investments. Prior to this role, he managed Arlon Opportunities Investors, an equities and commodities hedge fund backed by Conti. Before joining Conti, Ari worked in private equity and investment banking. Ari is a member of the Board of Directors of Wayne-Sanderson Farms LLC, Restaurant Technologies, Hissho Sushi and Agile Cold Storage. Ari holds a BS and MBA in Finance and Accounting from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Robert Golden* Chief Strategy Officer
Robert (Bob) Golden is our Chief Strategy Officer. Bob joined Conti in 2019 after retiring from a nearly 30-year career at Anheuser-Busch/AB InBev with roles covering a range of responsibilities across M&A, strategic planning, procurement, treasury, and packaging operations. Following the combination of Anheuser-Busch and InBev, Bob took leadership of AB InBev’s global M&A program. Bob has served on several corporate boards and is currently a Director of Rotterdam-based Refresco, BV. Prior to joining Anheuser-Busch in 1988, Bob worked in commercial and investment banking at Continental Bank (Chicago). He earned a BS from Illinois State University and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
Frank Baier* Chief Financial &
Administrative Officer
Frank Baier has served as our Chief Financial Officer since 2012. Prior to joining Conti, Frank was Chief Financial Officer of North Jersey Community Bank. He has held senior financial executive roles at a variety of companies including Capital Access Network, Inc., Independence Community Bank, and ContiFinancial Corporation. He was also a consultant for Meridian Capital Group, LLC, and a partner at Columbia Financial Partners. Frank began his career at RJR Nabisco, Inc. in 1987. He is a Board Member of ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Accounting), Cum Laude, from the W. Paul Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University, and his MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.
Charles Fribourg Vice Chairman
Charles Fribourg has served on our Board of Directors since 2001 and is a member of our Management Committee. Earlier, Charles held several leading roles at Conti as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Latin American Division, General Manager EEC, Europe, Product Manager International for Meals/Derivatives, Merchandising Manager International for Proteins/Derivatives, Commercial Manager for France, and previously worked in various merchandising positions throughout Conti’s domestic operations. Charles received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Connecticut College and his Advanced Management degree in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management.
Michael Zimmerman Vice Chairman
Michael Zimmerman is a member of our Board of Directors and serves as Conti’s Vice Chairman since 2012. Prior to taking on the role of Vice Chairman, Michael was our Chief Financial Officer, and Senior Vice President, Investments and Strategy. Before joining Conti, Michael was a Managing Director at Salomon Brothers Inc. He also served on the Boards of a number of publicly-held agribusiness and commodity firms. Currently, he is a Director of Stifel Financial Corp. and of Castleton Commodities International. Active in many nonprofit organizations, he serves on the Board of Mount Sinai Health System, and is the Chairman of the Investment Committee of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Michael earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Trinity College and his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Michael Mayberry General Counsel
Michael R. Mayberry is our General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Michael has worked for Conti since 1996 including his tenure at ContiFinancial Corporation as Associate General Counsel. Prior to that he worked as an associate in the New York offices of the law firms of Dewey Ballantine and Winston & Strawn. He received his juris doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and his Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon. He also holds an International Business Program diploma from Nijenrode, The Netherlands School of Business.
Nick Rosa Chairman, Conti International
Nick Rosa is our Chairman of Conti International. Nick has worked for Conti for over 40 years and served in a variety of positions both domestically and internationally. He joined Conti in 1975 as a trainee in the animal feed division and eventually became General Manager of the Wayne Feed Division in Chicago in 1995. He relocated to New York in 1997 as Vice President of Conti’s International Industries and in 2007, he was named Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Conti Asia, based in Beijing until 2020. Nick has served as Chairman and Director in several poultry, pork, food processing and feed companies in Eastern Europe, South America and Asia. Nick received both his BS in Economics and his MBA from Arizona State University.
* Member of the Office of the CEO
Management Team
Paul Fribourg* Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Paul J. Fribourg is our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to taking the helm of Conti, he held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility—from Merchandiser and Product Line Manager to Group President and Chief Operating Officer. Paul serves as the Lead Independent Director of Loews Corporation, and as a Board Member of The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc., Syngenta Group Co., Ltd., and Wayne-Sanderson Farms LLC. He is also a Member of the Rabobank International North American Agribusiness Advisory Board, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Temasek Americas Advisory Panel, and the International Business Leaders Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai. Paul graduated Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College with a Bachelor of Arts degree and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Ari Gendason* Chief Investment Officer
Ari Gendason is our Chief Investment Officer. Ari joined Conti in 2004 and has been involved in many of our investments in the food and agriculture sector over that time. He currently oversees a portfolio of both public and private food and ag investments. Prior to this role, he managed Arlon Opportunities Investors, an equities and commodities hedge fund backed by Conti. Before joining Conti, Ari worked in private equity and investment banking. Ari is a member of the Board of Directors of Wayne-Sanderson Farms LLC, Restaurant Technologies, Hissho Sushi and Agile Cold Storage. Ari holds a BS and MBA in Finance and Accounting from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Robert Golden* Chief Strategy Officer
Robert (Bob) Golden is our Chief Strategy Officer. Bob joined Conti in 2019 after retiring from a nearly 30-year career at Anheuser-Busch/AB InBev with roles covering a range of responsibilities across M&A, strategic planning, procurement, treasury, and packaging operations. Following the combination of Anheuser-Busch and InBev, Bob took leadership of AB InBev’s global M&A program. Bob has served on several corporate boards and is currently a Director of Rotterdam-based Refresco, BV. Prior to joining Anheuser-Busch in 1988, Bob worked in commercial and investment banking at Continental Bank (Chicago). He earned a BS from Illinois State University and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
Frank Baier* Chief Financial &
Administrative Officer
Frank Baier has served as our Chief Financial Officer since 2012. Prior to joining Conti, Frank was Chief Financial Officer of North Jersey Community Bank. He has held senior financial executive roles at a variety of companies including Capital Access Network, Inc., Independence Community Bank, and ContiFinancial Corporation. He was also a consultant for Meridian Capital Group, LLC, and a partner at Columbia Financial Partners. Frank began his career at RJR Nabisco, Inc. in 1987. He is a Board Member of ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Accounting), Cum Laude, from the W. Paul Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University, and his MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.
Charles Fribourg Vice Chairman
Michael Zimmerman Vice Chairman
Michael Mayberry General Counsel
Nick Rosa Chairman, Conti International
Frank Baier has served as our Chief Financial Officer since 2012. Prior to joining Conti, Frank was Chief Financial Officer of North Jersey Community Bank. He has held senior financial executive roles at a variety of companies including Capital Access Network, Inc., Independence Community Bank, and ContiFinancial Corporation. He was also a consultant for Meridian Capital Group, LLC, and a partner at Columbia Financial Partners. Frank began his career at RJR Nabisco, Inc. in 1987. He is a Board Member of ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Accounting), Cum Laude, from the W. Paul Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University, and his MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.
Charles Fribourg has served on our Board of Directors since 2001 and is a member of our Management Committee. Earlier, Charles held several leading roles at Conti as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Latin American Division, General Manager EEC, Europe, Product Manager International for Meals/Derivatives, Merchandising Manager International for Proteins/Derivatives, Commercial Manager for France, and previously worked in various merchandising positions throughout Conti’s domestic operations. Charles received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Connecticut College and his Advanced Management degree in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management.
Michael Zimmerman is a member of our Board of Directors and serves as Conti’s Vice Chairman since 2012. Prior to taking on the role of Vice Chairman, Michael was our Chief Financial Officer, and Senior Vice President, Investments and Strategy. Before joining Conti, Michael was a Managing Director at Salomon Brothers Inc. He also served on the Boards of a number of publicly-held agribusiness and commodity firms. Currently, he is a Director of Stifel Financial Corp. and of Castleton Commodities International. Active in many nonprofit organizations, he serves on the Board of Mount Sinai Health System, and is the Chairman of the Investment Committee of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Michael earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Trinity College and his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Michael R. Mayberry is our General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Michael has worked for Conti since 1996 including his tenure at ContiFinancial Corporation as Associate General Counsel. Prior to that he worked as an associate in the New York offices of the law firms of Dewey Ballantine and Winston & Strawn. He received his juris doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and his Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon. He also holds an International Business Program diploma from Nijenrode, The Netherlands School of Business.
* Member of the Office of the CEO
Management Team
Paul Fribourg* Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Paul J. Fribourg is our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to taking the helm of Conti, he held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility—from Merchandiser and Product Line Manager to Group President and Chief Operating Officer. Paul serves as the Lead Independent Director of Loews Corporation, and as a Board Member of The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc., Syngenta Group Co., Ltd., and Wayne-Sanderson Farms LLC. He is also a Member of the Rabobank International North American Agribusiness Advisory Board, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Temasek Americas Advisory Panel, and the International Business Leaders Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai. Paul graduated Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College with a Bachelor of Arts degree and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Ari Gendason* Chief Investment Officer
Ari Gendason is our Chief Investment Officer. Ari joined Conti in 2004 and has been involved in many of our investments in the food and agriculture sector over that time. He currently oversees a portfolio of both public and private food and ag investments. Prior to this role, he managed Arlon Opportunities Investors, an equities and commodities hedge fund backed by Conti. Before joining Conti, Ari worked in private equity and investment banking. Ari is a member of the Board of Directors of Wayne-Sanderson Farms LLC, Restaurant Technologies, Hissho Sushi and Agile Cold Storage. Ari holds a BS and MBA in Finance and Accounting from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Robert Golden* Chief Strategy Officer
Robert (Bob) Golden is our Chief Strategy Officer. Bob joined Conti in 2019 after retiring from a nearly 30-year career at Anheuser-Busch/AB InBev with roles covering a range of responsibilities across M&A, strategic planning, procurement, treasury, and packaging operations. Following the combination of Anheuser-Busch and InBev, Bob took leadership of AB InBev’s global M&A program. Bob has served on several corporate boards and is currently a Director of Rotterdam-based Refresco, BV. Prior to joining Anheuser-Busch in 1988, Bob worked in commercial and investment banking at Continental Bank (Chicago). He earned a BS from Illinois State University and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
Frank Baier* Chief Financial &
Administrative Officer
Frank Baier has served as our Chief Financial Officer since 2012. Prior to joining Conti, Frank was Chief Financial Officer of North Jersey Community Bank. He has held senior financial executive roles at a variety of companies including Capital Access Network, Inc., Independence Community Bank, and ContiFinancial Corporation. He was also a consultant for Meridian Capital Group, LLC, and a partner at Columbia Financial Partners. Frank began his career at RJR Nabisco, Inc. in 1987. He is a Board Member of ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Accounting), Cum Laude, from the W. Paul Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University, and his MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.
Charles Fribourg Vice Chairman
Charles Fribourg has served on our Board of Directors since 2001 and is a member of our Management Committee. Earlier, Charles held several leading roles at Conti as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Latin American Division, General Manager EEC, Europe, Product Manager International for Meals/Derivatives, Merchandising Manager International for Proteins/Derivatives, Commercial Manager for France, and previously worked in various merchandising positions throughout Conti’s domestic operations. Charles received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Connecticut College and his Advanced Management degree in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management.
Michael Zimmerman Vice Chairman
Michael Zimmerman is a member of our Board of Directors and serves as Conti’s Vice Chairman since 2012. Prior to taking on the role of Vice Chairman, Michael was our Chief Financial Officer, and Senior Vice President, Investments and Strategy. Before joining Conti, Michael was a Managing Director at Salomon Brothers Inc. He also served on the Boards of a number of publicly-held agribusiness and commodity firms. Currently, he is a Director of Stifel Financial Corp. and of Castleton Commodities International. Active in many nonprofit organizations, he serves on the Board of Mount Sinai Health System, and is the Chairman of the Investment Committee of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Michael earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Trinity College and his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Michael Mayberry General Counsel
Michael R. Mayberry is our General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Michael has worked for Conti since 1996 including his tenure at ContiFinancial Corporation as Associate General Counsel. Prior to that he worked as an associate in the New York offices of the law firms of Dewey Ballantine and Winston & Strawn. He received his juris doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and his Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon. He also holds an International Business Program diploma from Nijenrode, The Netherlands School of Business.
Nick Rosa Chairman, Conti International
Nick Rosa is our Chairman of Conti International. Nick has worked for Conti for over 40 years and served in a variety of positions both domestically and internationally. He joined Conti in 1975 as a trainee in the animal feed division and eventually became General Manager of the Wayne Feed Division in Chicago in 1995. He relocated to New York in 1997 as Vice President of Conti’s International Industries and in 2007, he was named Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Conti Asia, based in Beijing until 2020. Nick has served as Chairman and Director in several poultry, pork, food processing and feed companies in Eastern Europe, South America and Asia. Nick received both his BS in Economics and his MBA from Arizona State University.
* Member of the Office of the CEO
Board of Directors
Paul Fribourg Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Paul J. Fribourg is our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to taking the helm of Conti, he held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility—from Merchandiser and Product Line Manager to Group President and Chief Operating Officer. Paul serves as the Lead Independent Director of Loews Corporation, and as a Board Member of The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc., Syngenta Group Co., Ltd., and Wayne-Sanderson Farms LLC. He is also a Member of the Rabobank International North American Agribusiness Advisory Board, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Temasek Americas Advisory Panel, and the International Business Leaders Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai. Paul graduated Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College with a Bachelor of Arts degree and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Alan Fishman Chairman, Ladder Capital
Financial Holdings LLLP
Alan Fishman has had a distinguished career in the banking industry. He is currently the Chairman of Ladder Capital Finance Corporation. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Washington Mutual Bank. During 2007 and 2008, he served as Chairman of Meridian Capital Group and prior to joining Meridian, he was President of Sovereign Bank. He assumed the leadership of Independence Community Bank when he was elected President and Chief Executive Officer in March 2001.
Mr. Fishman has been an active leader in many not-for-profit activities in Brooklyn. He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He also served as Chairman of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation and as Co-Chairman of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Brooklyn Community Foundation. The Brooklyn Community Foundation is the successor institution to the Independence Community Foundation. The Brooklyn Community Foundation is Brooklyn’s only Foundation focusing exclusively on the Borough. Mr. Fishman serves on the Boards of several private companies and other not-for-profit and civic organizations. A lifelong Brooklynite, he was educated in the public schools graduating from Erasmus Hall High School. He graduated from Brown University with a degree in Economics and received a master’s degree in Economics from Columbia University.
Charles Fribourg Vice Chairman
Charles Fribourg has served as a Member of the Company’s Board of Directors since 2001 and is a member of the Management Committee. He has served as Directeur General of Arlon Group (Europe) S.A., in Geneva, Switzerland, since 1999. Earlier, Mr. Fribourg served the Company as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Latin American Division, General Manager EEC, Europe, Product Manager International for Meals/Derivatives, Merchandising Manager International for Proteins/Derivatives, Commercial Manager for France, and previously held various merchandising positions throughout the Company’s domestic operations. Mr. Fribourg received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Connecticut College and his Advanced Management degree in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management.
Gerald Rosenfeld Vice Chairman - US Investment Banking, Lazard Ltd
Gerald Rosenfeld is Senior Advisor to the CEO and is Vice Chairman of U.S. Investment Banking of Lazard. Prior to rejoining Lazard in 2011, he spent 11 years at Rothschild North America as its CEO and, after stepping down from that position, as its Deputy Chairman. Mr. Rosenfeld initially joined Lazard in 1992 and served as a General Partner, Managing Director and Head of US Investment Banking. Prior to Lazard he held significant management positions at Bankers Trust Company, Salomon Inc. and its Salomon Brothers subsidiary, and McKinsey & Company.
Mr. Rosenfeld has worked as a strategic and M&A advisor in the industrial and technology sectors, including representation of General Motors, Chrysler, United Technologies, ITT Corporation, Tenneco, TRW, Lucas Varity PLC, Case Corporation, Lotus Corp. in its acquisition by IBM, and recently as advisor to Dow in its proposed merger with DuPont. He has also worked on many airline transactions including for United Airlines, TWA, US Airways, and Northwest Airlines. Mr. Rosenfeld has worked on corporate restructuring assignments for, among others, TWA, United Airlines, Delphi Corporation, Gaylord Container, the Chicago Sun-Times, and AIG.
Early in his career, Mr. Rosenfeld was a member of the faculty of the City College of New York, New York University, and the University of Maryland.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of CIT Group. In the non-profit sector, he serves on the Boards of The City College Foundation and The Charles H. Revson Foundation. Mr. Rosenfeld holds a Ph.D. in applied Mathematics from New York University. He is a Professor of Practice at New York University School of Law and a member of its Board of Trustees. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Michael Zimmerman Vice Chairman
Paul J. Fribourg is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Continental Grain Company, an international agribusiness and investment company. Prior to assuming the helm of one of the largest privately-held corporations in the United States, he held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility—from Merchandiser and Product Line Manager to Group President and Chief Operating Officer.
Paul Fribourg serves as the Lead Independent Director of Loews Corporation, a Board Member of The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc., a Board Member of Restaurant Brands International Inc., a Board Member of Syngenta Group Co., Ltd., and a Board Member of Bunge Limited. He is also a Member of the Rabobank International North American Agribusiness Advisory Board. He also serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of Wayne Farms LLC, a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Member of the Temasek Americas Advisory Panel, and a Member of the International Business Leaders Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai. Mr. Fribourg graduated Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Sally Grimes CEO, North America of Diageo
Sally Grimes has served as a member of our board of directors since November 2022. She most recently served as CEO of Clif Bar & Co, from May 2020 to March 2023 when Clif Bar was acquired by Mondelez International. Prior to joining Clif Bar, Sally was Group President of Prepared Foods for Tyson Foods, responsible for more than $10 billion of the company’s revenue and 35,000 team members. Sally previously served as Chief Global Growth Officer and President of International for the company, joining Tyson with the acquisition of The Hillshire Brands Company in 2014 where she served as Chief Innovation Officer. Sally started her career at Kraft Foods, spending 10 years in brand management, and then transitioned to lead the global expansion and digital transformation of the Writing Global Business Unit at Newell Rubbermaid. Sally has been recognized by leading business publications including being named one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women to Watch and one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business. She has also been recognized by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business and by Crain’s as one of The Most Powerful Women in Chicago Business. Sally also serves on the Board of Directors of Beyond Meat, Silver Oak Winery and the Midtown Educational Foundation. She received her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Brad Karp Chairman of Paul, Weiss
Brad Karp has been the Chairman of Paul, Weiss since 2008. One of the country’s leading litigators and corporate advisers, Brad has successfully guided numerous Fortune 100 companies, global financial institutions and individuals through “bet the company” litigations, regulatory matters, internal investigations, and corporate crises.
Brad has received dozens of industry awards and recognitions for his successful client representations and legal achievements as well as for his role as a leader in the legal profession, the business community and the public interest sphere. Brad has been profiled as one of the leading lawyers in the United States by numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and has been selected multiple times as the “Lawyer of the Year” and “Litigator of the Year.”
Brad has written over 700 articles on business litigation, corporate governance and securities law issues and has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Columbia and NYU Law Schools and the Federal Judicial Center. Brad is active in the community, serving on more than 40 public interest, educational, cultural and charitable boards.
Brad is a graduate of Harvard Law School and has spent his entire professional career at Paul, Weiss.
Conti Direct Investments Team
Carlos Poblete Co-Head
Carlos has been with Conti since 2016 and serves as Principal of Conti Direct Investments. Previously, Carlos was Co-Head of CGC Latin America, where he led Conti’s origination, deal and portfolio management in the region. Before that, Carlos spent 3 years with the Conti Corporate Investments team focusing on global private equity transactions. Carlos started his career in the investment banking division of BTG Pactual in Chile where he was involved in M&A and ECM transactions in the Andean region. Later, he joined the Chilean Government, where he served as Advisor to the President in finance, mining and social development affairs. Carlos received a BA in Business and Economics from Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Carlos serves on the Board of Directors for Agroberries, BerryWorld Group, Kinder’s and Multifoods.
Ignacio Sanz Co-Head
Ignacio Sanz joined Continental Grain Company in 2019, and serves as Principal of Conti Direct Investments. Prior to joining Conti, Ignacio was a principal at Australis Partners, a middle-market Latin American private equity fund. At Australis, Ignacio was involved in the acquisition and management of investments in the retail, foodservice and healthcare sectors. He started his career at Citigroup’s investment banking division where he focused on M&A advisory and capital market transactions for Latin American clients across a broad range of industries. Later, he joined Citi Venture Capital International (CVCI) where he was involved in acquisition, management and realization of several CVCI’s Latin American investments. Ignacio holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Instituto Tecnologico de Buenos Aires.
Ignacio serves on several boards including Multifoods, Agroberries, and Moderna.
Ryan Oksenhendler Principal, Corporate Investments
Ryan Oksenhendler has been with Continental Grain Company since 2014. From 2005-2014, Ryan was a sell side analyst for Bank of America Merrill Lynch covering the Agribusiness, Packaged Food and Tobacco sectors. Prior to this, Ryan worked in the finance department for US Trust from 2003-2005. Ryan received his BS in Finance from Indiana University.
Guillermo Garrido-Lecca Vice President
Guillermo has been with Continental Grain Company since 2019. He started his career in the Investment Banking Division of Credicorp Capital in Peru where he was involved in executing M&A transactions in the Andean Region. Later, he joined the Investment Banking Division of Credit Suisse in New York where he was involved in M&A, DCM and ECM transactions in Latin America (2014-2017). Guillermo received his BA in Economics from Universidad del Pacifico (Peru) and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Maximiliano Astruc Vice President
Maximiliano has been with Conti since 2019. Previously, Max worked as an Associate Director at UBS on the Mergers and Acquisitions team, focusing on Consumer Products & Retail, Industrial and Real Estate sectors. Max received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a minor in Mathematics from Georgetown University.
Marcelo Deschamps Vice President
Marcelo joined the Conti team in 2022 as a Senior Associate on the North America Direct Investments team. Previously, Marcelo was an Investment Banking Associate at Goldman Sachs in the Consumer Retail Group. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Marcelo worked as an Investment Banking Analyst at Itau BBA where he focused on M&A advisory and capital market transactions for Latin America Ex-Brazil. Marcelo received his BS in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Tecnologica Nacional (Argentina) and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Devin McLaughlin Vice President
Devin re-joined the Direct Investments team following business school as a Vice President in 2024. Previously, he was a Senior Associate on the team from 2019-2022. Devin began his career as an investment banking analyst at UBS in the Consumer Products & Retail Group. He received a BA in Government from Harvard University and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Nicolas Guzman Associate, Direct Investments
Nicolas has been with Continental Grain Company since 2021. Previously, Nicolas worked as an Associate in the investment banking division of Credicorp Capital in Chile, where he was involved in executing M&A, DCM and ECM transactions in the Andean Region. Nicolás received a BA in Business and Economics from Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile.
Hunter Whitney Associate, Direct Investments
Hunter joined the Direct Investments team as an Associate in 2023. Previously, he was as an Analyst within Guggenheim Securities’ Industrials Coverage group, where he focused on both M&A transactions and capital raises. Hunter began his career performing process management consulting services and valuations in Deloitte’s Tangible Asset Valuation practice. Hunter received a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University.
Andrew Franz Associate, Direct Investments
Andrew Franz joined Continental Grain Company in 2024 as an Associate on the Direct Investments team. Prior to joining Conti, Andrew was an Analyst and then an Associate at Goldman Sachs within the Natural Resources Group. Andrew received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bucknell University.
Guilherme Franco Vice President
Arlon Latin America Partners
Guilherme Franco has been ALAP since 2020. Prior to joining, Guilherme was part of the investment banking team at BR Partners, a leading Brazilian independent investment bank focused on financial advisory in mergers and acquisitions. Prior to that, he worked at Estáter, a Brazilian M&A and restructuring boutique, and Itaú BBA. He received his BS in Mechatronics Engineering from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo and his MS in Management Engineering from Politecnico di Milano. Guilherme is a CFA Charter holder since 2019. Guilherme is a Brazilian national and is fluent in Portuguese and English.
Felipe Piffer Junior Analyst,
Arlon Latin America Partners (ALAP)
Felipe has been with Conti since 2022. Previously to joining the investment team, Felipe worked in a Search Fund called Tractus. Felipe received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of São Paulo (Brazil).
Michael Fribourg Head of 1813
Michael Fribourg has been with Continental Grain Company since 2019, initially joining Arlon Capital Partners as a Senior Associate working on value creation across Arlon’s portfolio. Today, Michael is leading a diversification strategy for Conti focused on making investments outside of the food and ag space.
Prior to joining Conti, Michael was a senior associate at private equity firm, Garnett Station Partners, focused on the restaurant, consumer, and franchising sectors. Before that, Michael was a marketing coordinator at Peet’s Coffee, and prior to that was a freight analyst at Castleton Commodities. Michael received his BA from New York University, and his MBA from NYU Stern.
Joe Magliano Senior Associate
Joe Magliano joined Continental Grain Company in 2024 as a Senior Associate, 1813. Prior to joining Conti, Joe graduated from Lehigh University’s Business Program, and then joined Alvarez & Marsal as a strategy consultant. He then founded Otherworld Foods, a producer and marketer of better-for-you food products in the baking mix category, where he took on the role of CFO & COO. He has since been consulting independently for venture-backed companies.
Conti Ventures Team
Brian Loeb Co-Head
Brian Loeb has been with Conti since early 2016, having previously worked at J.P. Morgan within the Financial Institutions Investment Banking Group. At Conti, Brian has focused primarily on Conti Ventures, with a mandate to co-invest in early stage technology companies in the food, agriculture and restaurant sectors. Brian currently sits on the Board of Prenexus Health, Myco Technologies, Arzeda, Checkmate and Plasma Nutrition. Brian is a Board Observer at Brightseed Bio. He also helps manage Conti’s partnership with the Boulder Food Group, a VC fund focused on emerging CPG brands. Mr. Loeb holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University.
Suyash Bulchandani Senior Associate
Suyash Bulchandani joined Conti in 2022 as a Senior Associate on the Ventures team. Before joining Conti, Suyash worked for Viking Global Investors, where he most recently was an Alternative Data Investment Analyst. Prior to his time at Viking, Suyash worked at Bridgewater Associates. Suyash holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Dartmouth College.
Evan Savell Vice President
Evan joined the Conti Ventures team in 2020. Previously, Evan was a strategy consultant with EY-Parthenon, where he advised private equity and Fortune 500 clients within the industrials, energy, and consumer sectors. Evan received his BA, cum laude, in Public Policy, with an Economics Minor and Energy & Environment Certificate from Duke University.
Conti Asia Team
Grace Zhuang CFO, ContiFeed
Grace joined ContiFeed Group in Beijing in 1999. Since joining the Company, she has served in various financial roles including Internal Auditing Manager, Financial Controller, and CFO. In addition to her role with ContiFeed, she has taken on finance oversight responsibilities for CCTI operations and Conti Asia’s investment activities. Prior to joining Conti, Grace was Auditor of Arthur Andersen. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Finance from the People’s University.
Jiayu Zhang CEO, ContiFeed
Jiayu has been with Continental Grain Company (Conti) since 2012. Prior to joining Conti Asia, Jiayu was an Associate in BNP Paribas’s Structuring team in Singapore. Jiayu was born and raised in China. He received his BS in computational mathematics from Nanjing University, his MS in financial mathematics from Clemson University and his MS in financial engineering from Columbia University. He is fluent in Mandarin and English.
Lingjun He Vice President
Lingjun re-joined Conti Asia’s investment team in Beijing as an Investment Vice President in July 2021. Prior to re-joining Conti Asia, Lingjun was Investment Director of TCL Industrial Holdings in Shenzhen, Investment Associate of Conti Asia in Beijing, Engagement Manager of Meritco Services in Shanghai, where she provided management consulting services to various global companies and private equity firms. Before that, Lingjun was Analyst, Strategic Development Department of China Zheshang Bank in Hangzhou. Lingjun received her BA in Finance and BS in Statistics, both from Peking University. She worked with Conti’s Corporate Investments in New York for six months in 2018 and attended Harvard Business School in 2019. She is fluent in Mandarin and English.
Myra Kwok Vice President – HR & Admin
Myra joined Conti Asia’s Hong Kong office in 1993. She held various positions in the company from HR Secretary, to Executive Assistant to President, to Office Manager, to head of Human Resources and Administration. Before joining Conti Asia, she was Administrative Secretary of Michel Manufacturing Limited in Hong Kong. Myra obtained her Higher Diploma in Business Studies from City University of Hong Kong (formerly City Polytechnic of Hong Kong). She provides all-rounded HR and administrative supports to our team in China and Hong Kong.
Shijing Liu Head of Strategy, ContiFeed
Shijing Liu joined Conti Asia’s investment team in Beijing as an Investment Vice President in March 2021. Prior to joining Conti, Shijing was Senior Manager at Bain & Company in Beijing. Before that, he was HR Advisor of Deutsche Bank. Shijing obtained his B.B.A. and B.S. in Psychology from Peking University, and M.B.A. from Yale School of Management. He was born and raised in China, and he is fluent in English and Mandarin.
Value Creation
Kevin Thorson Principal
Kevin joined Conti in 2013 and has been involved in the acquisition and management of private investments in the food and agriculture sector. He started his career in Piper Jaffray’s investment banking division where he focused on M&A advisory for restaurants, retailers, and food companies. Kevin is a member of the Board of Directors of Restaurant Technologies and Caulipower. Kevin received his BA, magna cum laude, in economics and Spanish from Bates College.
Steven Colliau Vice President
Steven has been with Continental Grain Company since 2015. From 2013 to 2015, he was an Analyst in the Diversified Industries Investment banking division of J.P. Morgan Chase. In 2012, he was Summer Analyst in the same division. Steven received his BS in accounting and business with special attainments in commerce from Washington & Lee University.
Kevin VandeKamp Vice President
Value Creation & 1813
Kevin VandeKamp is a Senior Associate on our Operations team. Kevin joined the team in 2022 from Citadel LLC, where he was most recently a Business and Strategic Associate on the Global Credit team. In his role, Kevin led strategic growth initiatives for the Credit, Convertible Arbitrage, and Equity Volatility businesses. Prior to his tenure at Citadel, Kevin worked for Vitaligent LLC and Deloitte & Touche LLP.
Matt Rosen Senior Associate
Jose Concha Operating Partner
Jose Concha joined Continental Grain Company in 2022 as an Operating Partner for Latin America. Prior to joining Conti, Jose worked for SMU, a leading Chilean grocery retailer, in a series of roles from Merchandize Manager for Perishable foods to Operating Excellence Manager, among others. Before SMU, Jose worked at McKinsey, were he focused on operations transformations, Unilever working on supply chain, and Walmart where he worked in the Merchandize Department. Jose holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Catolica de Chile.
Danilo Rodrigues Operating Partner
Arlon Latin America Partners
Danilo Rodrigues has extensive experience in consulting (At Kearney and Webb Consulting) and as a business executive (Bacardi and Grupo Boticario). He developed projects and lived in many different countries (Brazil, USA, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Madagascar). He joined Arlon in 2019 and is currently a member of Conti’s operating group, focused on our Brazilian investments (Alvoar, Grano and TMOV). Danilo holds an MBA from UC Berkeley – Haas School of Business and a BBA from FGV-EAESP.
Operating Advisors
Luiz Aere Operating Partner
Luiz Aere is an Operating Partner at Continental Grain Company and is responsible for value creation across Conti’s global portfolio.
Luiz joined Conti from AB InBev, where he spent two decades of his career working in commercial leadership roles across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America, participating in most of AB InBev’s post-merger integrations. Most recently, he served as Chief Commercial Officer in Europe and prior to that Luiz was the Global VP of Revenue Management and Business Intelligence.
Corporate Team
Jordana Fribourg Chief Talent Officer
Jordana Fribourg was appointed to Chief Talent Officer for Continental Grain Company in 2021 and is responsible for driving value creation through CGC’s global network of relationships and talent. Prior to this role, Jordana was the Vice President of Talent and Strategic Partnerships for the Company. Jordana first joined Conti in 2017 to focus on corporate investments and venture capital. Jordana is a member of the Board of Directors of Restaurant Brands International Inc.
Jordana is a member of the 7th generation of the Fribourg Family to lead the business. She is an alumna of Brown University (B.A.), Sotheby’s Institute of Art (M.A.), and Columbia University (M.B.A.).
Shaun Ehrhardt Senior Vice President, Tax
Shaun Ehrhardt leads Conti’s tax department. Shaun has been with the Company since 2001. Prior to coming to Conti, Shaun was an outside consultant to Conti though his partnership Gross & Ehrhardt, CPA’s. Shaun is a graduate of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Karen Miller Senior Vice President, Controller
Karen Miller is Conti’s Controller. Karen has worked for Continental Grain Company since 1989 including her tenure at ContiFinancial Corporation as Assistant Controller. Karen received her MS in Accounting from Pace University and her BA from SUNY Albany.
Joseph Bongiorno Senior Vice President
Compensation & Benefits
Joe Bongiorno has been with Continental Grain Company since 1996, serving in position in compensation, benefits, human resources systems and information technology. Prior to Conti, Joe managed human resources systems for Young and Rubicam and also worked as a PeopleSoft HRMS consultant. Joe received his BS in psychology from Brooklyn College and is a certified Professional in Human Resources.
Tatyana Dukhvalov Senior Vice President
Information Technology
Tatyana Dukhvalov is Vice President, Information Technology. Tatyana has worked for the Company since 1997 including her tenure at ContiFinancial Corporation as Senior Systems Analyst. Prior to that, she was with Automated Management Systems as a Senior Programmer, having started her career as a Programmer for McGrath & McNeill. She received her Master’s Degree in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from the Belarusian National Technical University, having graduated second in her class.
Jonathan Jacobs Deputy General Counsel
Jonathan F. Jacobs is our Deputy General Counsel. Prior to joining Conti, Jonathan was an associate in the New York offices of the law firms of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Covington & Burling LLP. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Duke University, and his Juris Doctor with Honors from Rutgers University Law School.
Susan McIntyre Senior Director
Shareholder Services
Susan McIntyre has been with Continental Grain Company since 1996. Prior to that, she was Manager of Operations for several oil trading companies and refiners — overseeing all foreign and domestic crude and petroleum products operations.
Susan received her Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and spent her junior year abroad in Fribourg, Switzerland.
Sam Telzak Principal
Sam joined Conti as a Principal on the Talent & Strategy team in 2023. Sam previously worked at Conti from 2017 to 2018 as an Associate on the Corporate Investments team. Prior to rejoining Conti, Sam earned a JD from Stanford Law School, was an Associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, and clerked for the Hon. Lewis J. Liman of the Southern District of New York. Sam holds a BA from Yale University and an MSocSc from the University of Cape Town.
Danielle Bensignor Director
Talent & Strategy
Danielle joined Conti in 2022 as Senior Manager, Talent and Partnerships. Previously, Danielle worked at ExecOnline, Inc., where she spent several years in a series of Human Resources and Talent Management roles. Most recently, Danielle was Senior Manager, Business and People Operations where she oversaw the full employee lifecycle including onboarding, benefits, employee relations, and strategic talent management planning. Prior to working at ExecOnline, Inc., Danielle was a Recruiting Coordinator at Citi. Danielle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Law from Binghamton University.
Our approach to talent goes well beyond our employee base and extends into our vast network of partners, advisors. and broader professional and personal networks.
Our long-term horizon and permanent capital base offer our team members entrepreneurial opportunities without having to take on entrepreneurial risks.
Our track record illustrates how our people succeed by taking on big responsibility with the support of a strong network and infrastructure.