DENVER – Mark Ripato will succeed Dan Vradenburg as president of Wilbur-Ellis’ agribusiness division starting Nov. 1, 2018. Ripato previously served as chief executive officer and president of Tenkoz, an agricultural buying group based in Alpharetta, Georgia.

"Mark is a long-time agricultural executive with deep and direct exposure into many relevant areas within the ag industry," said John Buckley, chief executive officer and president, Wilbur-Ellis. "In his roles at Tenkoz, Mark has demonstrated his ability to rapidly take on increasing levels of responsibility in a large, complex and well-respected organization. We will benefit from his deep knowledge of the agriculture supply chain and Mark's unique insights into the industry transformation."

Before joining Tenkoz, Ripato worked for ICI Agricultural Products, now known as Syngenta, where he practiced integrating new seed and trait platforms in various chemistry portfolios. He began his career as a flock supervisor at Perdue Farms in Salisbury, Maryland. Ripato received a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics from the University of Kentucky, went on to earn his MBA from Salisbury State University, and finally received an International Master of Management degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

"I'm excited to be a part of a company with such a vibrant culture, led by a tested, proven and successful leadership team,” Ripato said. "I look forward to supporting Wilbur-Ellis' efforts in making a great company even greater."

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