Directors
K. Ivan F. Gothner, Chairman
Mr. Gothner has been Managing Director and founder of Adirondack Partners, LLC, a private merchant-banking firm that focuses on serving small and mid-size growth companies, since 1993. He has been active as a merchant banker focusing on small and mid-size growth companies for his entire career. His work has focused on companies experiencing rapid growth as a result of introducing new technologies and products or by entering new markets. Prior to founding Adirondack Partners, Mr. Gothner was Senior Vice President of Barclays Bank from 1990 to 1992, responsible for establishing an investment banking unit to serve small and mid-sized companies. Mr. Gothner joined Kleinwort Benson Limited in 1986 and from 1987 to 1990, he served as a Senior Vice President of the firm and General Manager of the KB Mezzanine Fund, L.P., a specialized fund which invested in the equity and junior capital of small and mid-sized businesses. Currently, Mr. Gothner serves on the Board of Directors of ArtID, LLC, Covenant Group Holdings, Inc. and Best Buddies of Massachusetts. Mr. Gothner received a Bachelor’s of Art from Columbia College in political science and economics and a MIA from Columbia University’s School of International Affairs in international economic policy and finance.
Milton P. Webster, III, Independent Director
Mr. Webster is a partner of Anchor Equities, LLC, a private investment firm that focuses on the acquisition, operations and sale of the assets of undervalued companies. From 2004 to 2010, Mr. Webster was a principal investor and Managing Member of Mid-Atlantic Restaurants, LLC and Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Investors, LLC, companies engaged in the acquisition, development, operation and consolidation of large multi-unit franchise restaurant groups in North Carolina and Georgia; and from 2000 to 2006, Mr. Webster was a principal investor with similar operations in Florida and Oklahoma. Previously, an investment banker with the Clifford Companies in New York from 1995 to 2000, Mr. Webster had responsibility for the domestic and international financial advisory activities of firm including those in China and India. Further, Mr. Webster’s experience includes serving as an advisor to Wasserstein & Perella, Inc. in connection with their strategic advisory and financing activities in the Greater China Region. Mr. Webster also served as a Vice President of Mabon, Nugent & Company engaged in the origination and underwriting of real estate based financings and began his career with the Petroleum District of the banking subsidiary of JP Morgan & Co. Mr. Webster received his B.A. in economics from the University of Colorado and his MBA with a concentration in finance from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago where he was a Standard Oil Company (N.J.) Fellow.
Lixiang Zhang, Ph.D., Independent Director
Dr. Zhang is a leading expert in animal nutritional science and management consulting in China. Dr. Zhang is a Professor of Agricultural Management and has served as the Assistant Dean of the College of Agricultural Development at Renmin University of China since July 2003. In 2005, he was named a Top Ten Enterprise Strategist by the Chinese government. In 2004, Dr. Zhang was named a Top Ten Best Management Consulting Expert by the Chinese Government. In 2002, he was awarded the top prize for Innovative Management Science by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. Dr. Zhang has authored over 60 books and articles in the topics of agricultural science and management science. He has conducted management training programs for global companies including SONY, Panasonic, General Motors, Motorola, China Life Insurance, China Telecom among others. Dr. Zhang received a PhD in Management Science from Renmin University in 2003.
Bruce Ginn
Mr. Ginn has extensive experience in the agriculture and livestock industries. Mr. Ginn is currently a Partner at BMI Ag Services, an agriculture holding and consulting company that focuses on livestock production and sales and the operation of pork processing companies. He also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Kansas City Sausage Company, LLC. Prior to joining BMI in 2001, Ginn served as the head of Procurement and Chief Economist for Oscar Mayer. Mr. Ginn has also held executive positions atConAgra and Sparks Commodities Inc. He has served on the faculties of a number of universities, including Texas Tech and Colorado State. Mr. Ginn holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in agricultural economics.