ALICO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
- Audit / Nominating and Corporate Governance
- Chief Executive Officer of Ducks Unlimited
Mr. Putnam is the Chief Executive Officer of Ducks Unlimited, a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. He served as Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture from 2011-2019 and was a US Congressman for five terms. He also was the House Republican Conference Chair from 2007-2009. Mr. Putnam attended the University of Florida, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in food and resource economics. A fifth generation Florida farmer and rancher, Mr. Putnam also serves on the advisory board for AgAmerica Lending and is a founding director of Leading Harvest, which advances agricultural sustainability practices across the supply chain.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Audit
Mr. Fishman has served on the Board of Directors since November 19, 2013 and as the non-employee Executive Chairman since July 1, 2019, and brings to the Board of Directors extensive knowledge and experience in the agriculture industry. On November 19, 2018, Mr. Fishman was appointed as Interim President of Alico and served in this position until July 1, 2019. Mr. Fishman is a Managing Director of Arlon Group and Continental Grain Company. From 1998 - 2000, he served as a Strategic and Financial Analyst for Continental Grain Company ("CGC"). Mr. Fishman left CGC in 2000 to co-found The Grow Network, which was sold to the McGraw- Hill Companies in 2004. He returned to CGC in 2005 and helped to establish the Arlon Group. Mr. Fishman currently also serves on the boards of The Coastal Companies, Wholesome Sweeteners, CiCi's Holdings, Inc. and is a Member of the Alumni Council of Collegiate School in New York City. Mr. Fishman received his BA, cum laude, in political theory from Princeton University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Senior Vice President
Brad Heine is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Alico. Prior to joining Alico, Brad was the Corporate Controller of Wejo Group Limited, connected vehicle data solutions organization based in Manchester, England. Prior to joining Wejo Group Limited, he was the VP of Accounting at IAC InterActiveCorp. Brad spent 12 years at Avis Budget Group, a global car rental company where he held positions of increasing responsibility including the VP of External Reporting and Technical Accounting and the Financial Controller for the EMEA region where he oversaw a $2 billion revenue business unit of Avis Budget Group based in England. Earlier in his career, Brad worked at AT&T and at Deloitte & Touche. Brad has a BBA in Public Accounting from Pace University and his MBA in Finance from Rutgers University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New Jersey.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Alico Logistics
Mr. Moore is the Vice President of Alico Logistics. He has held that position since March 2011. Prior to joining Alico, Mr. Moore was the Chief Financial Officer of Bowen Brothers Fruit and the Operations Manager of its predecessor entity Bowen Brothers Fruit Company. Before joining Bowen Brothers Fruit Company, he was the Controller at Pasco Processing and Florida Global Citrus, both Florida citrus processing plants. Mr. Moore holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stetson University and a Masters of Art in Economics from the University of Central Florida.
Job Titles:
- President and General Manager of Alico Citrus
Mr. Sutton is the President and General Manager of Alico Citrus. He has held that position since November of 2017. Mr. Sutton began his career with Alico in 1999 as a Grove Manager and was promoted to Production Manager in 2001, and then to Director of Citrus in 2006. Prior to joining Alico, he was a Supervisor in the Citrus Division at Hilliard Bros. of Florida. Mr. Sutton holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Citrus-Business from Florida Southern College.
Job Titles:
- Citrus Production Manager - TRB
Mr. Brokaw has served on the Board of Directors since November 19, 2013 and as Executive Vice Chairman from December 31, 2016 until December 31, 2019, and brings to the Board of Directors extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of business, finance and capital markets. Mr. Brokaw is currently a private investor through several private and public investment vehicles. Mr. Brokaw previously held senior roles at Highbridge Capital Management, Perry Capital, LLC, and Lazard Freres & Co. LLC. Mr. Brokaw is also a member of the Board of Directors of DISH Network Corporation and CTO Realty Growth, Inc. f/k/a Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co. He also serves on several not-for profit boards including the French American Foundation, Huguenot Society of America and the Society of Mayflower Descendants. He previously served as a director to several public and private companies, including: Modern Media Acquisition Corp., North American Energy Partners Inc., Capital Business Credit LLC, Timberstar, Capital Business Credit LLC, Exclusive Resorts, LLC, and Value Place Holdings LLC. Mr. Brokaw received a B.A. degree from Yale University, a J.D./M.B.A. from the University of Virginia and is a member of the New York Bar.
Job Titles:
- Citrus Production Manager - Corkscrew
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
- Nominating and Corporate Governance
Mr. Slack has served on the Board of Directors since November 19, 2013 and served as Executive Chairman from December 31, 2016 until July 1, 2019, and brings to the Board of Directors extensive experience in the areas of business, finance and capital markets. Mr. Slack is managing director of Quarterwatch LLC. He was Chairman of Terra Industries, an international nitrogen-based fertilizer company, from 2001 until 2010. Mr. Slack has served on the board of W. R. Grace & Co. since 2019. Mr. Slack is Chairman of the Advisory Board of Blakeney Limited Partners. For many years he has also served as a director of E. Oppenheimer and Son International Limited, formerly a private investment and family holding company. He was Chief Executive Officer of Minorco SA, an international mining company, from 1991 until 1999, when that company merged with Anglo American Corporation to form Anglo American plc. Mr. Slack was a member of the board of directors and the executive committee of Anglo American Corporation, an international mining finance company, from 1981 until 1999. He was on the board of directors of Salomon Brothers Inc., from 1982 to 1988, SAB Miller plc., one of the world's largest brewers, from 1998 to 2002, and for more than 20 years on the board of Engelhard Corporation until its acquisition in 2006. Mr. Slack is a graduate (B.A. in History) of Princeton University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
Prior to joining Alico, Mr. Sampel was CIO and Managing Director Global Operations of Greenwich Associates, a research based consulting firm servicing the financial services industry, Director of Information Technology for 454 Life Sciences Corporation, an early-stage life sciences equipment manufacturing company, and Manager of Advanced and Emerging Technology for Perkin Elmer, a Fortune 200 manufacturer of life sciences and laboratory equipment. Previous roles with Perkin Elmer included Manager of Global Infrastructure, Senior Network Architect, Senior Systems Analyst, Software Support Supervisor, and Field Service Engineer. James earned his M.B.A. in Information Systems from Pace University and his B.S. in Electronics Engineering Technology from DeVry University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- President
- Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility
John Kiernan leads Alico as our President and CEO and was previously its CFO. Before joining Alico, John worked as the CFO of Greenwich Associates, a private global research-based consulting firm serving the financial services industry. John previously worked as the Treasurer and SVP for Capital Markets & Risk Management for Global Crossing until its $3B sale to Level 3 in 2011. He was also the VP of Investor Relations for Misys plc, which maintained a public listing on the London Stock Exchange and a NASDAQ listing for one of its subsidiaries, and a Director of Corporate Development for IBM. Earlier in his career, John spent 12 years as an investment banker and specialized in IPOs and M&A for technology companies during his tenure at Bear Stearns, where he earned the title of Managing Director. John earned a BA in Finance and History summa cum laude from Saint Vincent College, earned an MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is a member of New York Bar and a Certified Treasury Professional.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Director
- Member of the Compensation Committee
- Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
- Compensation
- Partner at Pavese Law Firm
Ms. English is a Partner at Pavese Law Firm, whose practice concentrates on agricultural, environmental and land use law with an emphasis on developing value and maintaining productivity for larger properties. She has particular experience representing companies whose key businesses are farming, conservation and development. Before entering law school, she was a field representative for Florida Citrus Mutual ,working with its grower members in nine counties in South and Southwest Florida. She is a graduate of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Florida. She served the American Farm Bureau Federation as the founding chair of its Water Quality and Quantity Issue Advisory Committee. She is a native of Southwest Florida where her family has farmed since the 1800's. She continues to be involved in her family's farming operations in Lee and Collier Counties.
Job Titles:
- Director of Information Technology
Job Titles:
- Chief of Staff
- in 2023 As the Chief of Staff
Lydia Gavner joined Alico in 2023 as the Chief of Staff. Before joining Alico, Lydia served on Active Duty in the U.S. Army for five years before transitioning out of the service as a Captain. Lydia earned her Bachelor of Arts in Childhood Education and Family Development from the University of Maine. While in university, Lydia earned her Officer Commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps for which she was awarded a four-year scholarship. While earning her degree and commission, Lydia played Division I Field Hockey for Maine.
While in the Army, Lydia specialized in Human Resources with a variety of experience in personnel, strength, and talent management, recruitment, and project management. She was stationed in a variety of locations to include a six-month tour in Uganda and twelve-month deployment to Afghanistan. Lydia played a critical role in the downsizing of U.S. presence in Afghanistan, facilitating the closure and transfer of NATO bases to coalition forces and movement of U.S. Soldiers and personnel out of country. For her actions while deployed, Lydia was awarded a Bronze Star Medal.
Job Titles:
- Director of Administration
Job Titles:
- Chief Citrus Research Executive
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Member of the Compensation Committee
- Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
- Audit
Mr. Purse has served on the Board of Directors since April 29, 2019 and brings to the Board of Directors extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of agriculture, business leadership and finance. Mr. Purse is the Chief Farming Officer of Lipman Family Farms, the largest open-field tomato grower in North America. Mr. Purse has been with Lipman Family Farms since 2004 and has also served as Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Purse is a member of the Florida Tomato Committee, the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange and the Florida Tomato Exchange. Mr. Purse is a graduate of and received a B.A. degree and Masters degree from the University of South Florida.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Member of the Compensation Committee
- Audit
Mr. Krusen has served on the Board of Directors since November 19, 2013 and brings to the Board of Directors extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of business leadership, finance and capital markets and real estate. Mr. Krusen is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dominion Financial Group, Inc., a merchant banking organization that provides investment capital to the natural resources, communications and manufacturing and distribution sectors. He is also the managing member of Gulf Standard Energy, LLC, an oil and gas concern, and the managing member of Krusen-Douglas, LLC, a large landowner in the Tampa, Florida area. Mr. Krusen also serves as a director of several privately held companies, including Beall's Inc. and Romark Laboratories, L.C. He is currently a director and Chairman of Florida Capital Group, Inc., a Florida bank holding company, as well as Florida Capital Bank, N.A., its wholly owned subsidiary. Mr. Krusen previously served as a director of Exactech, Inc. and Raymond James Trust Company, a subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc. Mr. Krusen is a former member of the Young Presidents' Organization, and is currently a member of the World President's Organization and the Society of International Business Fellows. He is a past Chairman of Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry. Mr. Krusen holds a B.A. degree in Geology from Princeton University.