Verde appoints João Paulo Frez as Chief Revenue Officer

SINGAPORE, Feb. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verde AgriTech Ltd (TSX: “NPK”) ("Verde” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the appointment of João Paulo Frez as Chief Revenue Officer (“CRO”). Mr. Frez has over two decades of sales experience in the agribusiness sector, with the past nine years dedicated to developing the market for specialty fertilizers in Brazil. He succeeds Mr. Gilson Guardiero, who has served as the Company’s CRO since Q3 2023. Until February 2024, Mr. Frez served as the Senior Commercial Director for Brazil at ICL, a leading global specialty minerals company.

In his role as Senior Commercial Director for Brazil at ICL, Mr. Frez managed a robust sales team that included 3 Business Unit Directors, 13 Regional Sales Managers, and 120 Technical Sales Executives. Under his leadership, ICL experienced significant growth in sales and margins, attributed to the successful expansion of the specialty fertilizers segment.

“Mr Frez stands out as one of Brazil's most accomplished senior executives in specialty fertilizer sales. His journey in the industry began with five years of experience in large-scale farming operations before embarking on a remarkable sales career characterized by significant growth in results. Mr. Frez's proven track record in devising successful sales strategies and managing robust commercial operations across Brazil will play a crucial role in enhancing Verde's sales performance and overcoming market challenges to fulfill our goals for 2024 and beyond, sustainably ensuring returns across our entire value chain by delivering high-performance agronomic products that yield good profitability for farmers, distributors, and our shareholders,” commented Cristiano Veloso, Verde’s Founder and CEO.

After playing a key role in setting up commercial operations at Cooasgo - one of Brazil's most prominent agricultural cooperatives from 2008 to 2012 - Mr. Frez transitioned to a commercial representative position at Consagro Agroquímica - an American multinational agrochemical company – where he focused on optimizing distribution channels and implementing direct sales strategies.

In 2015, he accepted the position of Regional Sales Manager at Fertilaqua, overseeing a team of 10 Technical Sales Executives across four Brazilian states. By 2017, he was promoted to Business Unit Director, a pivotal role overseeing a strategic commercial region in Brazil. His area of operation covered multiple states, including Minas Gerais, Goiás, Bahia, and Tocantins. As Business Unit Director, Mr. Frez led a team of 63 sales executives.