Issue 11 2019

CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 11 2019 5 , Martin Richenhagen, Chairman, President and CEO of AGCO, a Fortune 500 com- pany and worldwide leader in agricultural equipment, has been elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute for Contem- porary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University (AICGS), a centre for policy research and scholarship dedicated to the most important political, economic, and security issues confronting Ger- many and the United States in the global arena. He will succeed Jacques Brand, Senior Partner at PJT Partners, in spring 2020, as AICGS enters a new era. Mr. Richenhagen’s German and American roots and history of achievement as a corporate lead- er on both sides of the Atlantic make him uniquely placed to lead the Institute. Germany is a key partner of the U.S. in its most important inter- national relationships: in trans- atlantic trade, within the NATO security alliance, and beyond. Germany stands at the centre of Europe and is the most influential member of the European Union. As two of the world’s leading trading nations, the United States and Germany share a deep and abiding interest in the health of the world economy. There is no other country with which the U.S. shares a stronger mix of interests and values. Mr. Richenhagen’s election was announced at AICGS’ annual gala dinner at Cipriani 25 Broad- way in Manhattan. This year’s dinner honored Steve Angel, CEO of Linde plc, which brought together the Connecticut-based Praxair, Inc. with Linde AG in a 2018 merger, an outstanding ex- ample of German and American collaboration on a global scale. The American Institute for Con- temporary German Studies (AICGS) in Washington, DC, is the only think tank focused ex- clusively on the most pressing issues at stake for Germany and the United States. Affiliated with Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the Institute possesses in-depth policy and academic expertise and an extensive network on both sides of the Atlantic. AICGS col- laborates with policymakers, cor- porate leaders, and scholars to deliver in-depth, actionable anal- ysis and fresh ideas that help an- ticipate trends, manage risk, and shape policy choices. Del Real Foods, a leading Hispanic refrigerated foods company, an- nounced the appointment of Michael Axelrod as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Axelrod leads a company that has built a strong brand within the large and growing Hispanic foods catego- ry and that recently has doubled its manufacturing capacity and expanded distribution of its products. Del Real is owned by a private fund affiliated with Palladium Equity Partners, LLC in partnership with the Cardenas family, the company’s founders. Mr. Axelrod most recently served as CEO of Passport Global Foods and Fine Choice Foods, a leading manu- facturer of globally inspired cuisine, and as President of TreeHouse Foods’ $1.5 billion Condiments division. He also has held executive positions at Whirlpool Corporation, Pactiv Corpora- tion, McCain Foods, and Kraft Foods. Early in his career, Mr. Axelrod was a project leader at the Boston Consulting Group, a global management consult- ing firm. “Michael is a highly experienced and well-regarded business leader who brings to Del Real almost three dec- ades of experience leading and build- ing food companies,” said Ed Lambert, the company’s Executive Chairman. “He is a people- and customer-centred individual who is ideally suited to help us as Del Real Foods moves to its next level of development. We look forward to working with Michael and the leadership team to continue the exceptional growth of our business.” Daniel Ilundain, a Managing Director of Palladium, added: “We continue to invest in building the Del Real team and in expanding capacity after starting up a new plant in Oklahoma this year. We have a strong conviction in Del Real – its people, its brand, the quality of its products, and the poten- tial of the category it operates in.” “I am looking forward to joining the incredibly talented Del Real team, and am very excited about the company’s potential,” said Mr. Axelrod. “Del Real has a tremendous brand, a grow- ing consumer base, and a strong innovation engine that has produced authentic and delicious products for many years. I am honored to help drive its growth alongside Palladium and the Cardenas family.” New Beginnings Martin Richenhagen, CEO of Fortune 500 company AGCO, elected as next Chairman of AICGS.