Pyxus International, Inc. (OTC Pink: PYYX, a global value-added agricultural company, announced today that it has appointed Robert George, Carl Hausmann, Cynthia Moehring and Richard Topping to its Board of Directors, effective October 12, 2020. These individuals join previously announced board members Holly Kim, Partner at Glendon Capital Management L.P.; Patrick Fallon, Principal at Monarch Alternative Capital LP; and Pieter Sikkel, president and CEO of Pyxus International.
"The addition of the new members to Pyxus' board of directors is a key milestone in its transformation strategy," said Sikkel. "We believe this mix of directors brings proven financial and operational track records and diverse perspectives that will contribute to Pyxus' future success, and we look forward to working with this group of proven leaders to accelerate the Company's growth."
George brings extensive financial and operational experience in public, private and private equity-backed diversified industrial businesses. Most recently, he served as EVP, CFO and Corporate Development for Esterline Technologies, a technology driven international manufacturer, where he played a key role in driving Esterline's transformation from a $300 million conglomerate to a $2 billion aerospace/defense company. Prior to joining Esterline, George held various leadership positions with Zurn Industries and Elgin Electronics. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Advanced Integration Technology, LP.
Hausmann brings more than 35 years of experience in the agribusiness and food industries. He retired in June 2012 as Managing Director – Global Government & Corporate Affairs of Bunge Limited, a leading global agribusiness and food company, having spent a decade serving in executive roles with Bunge affiliates in North America and Europe. As CEO of Bunge North America, he led a team of 4,000 employees to $15 billion in sales. Prior to joining Bunge, Hausmann served as Chair and CEO of Cereol S.A., a French public company engaged in global grain trading and processing that was purchased by Bunge in 2002, and held various leadership positions with Continental Grain Company in Europe, South America, Africa and the United States. Following his retirement from Bunge, Hausmann served as a member of the Board of Directors of Pyxus International's predecessor, then named Alliance One International, Inc., from June 2013 to August 2018.
Moehring is the founder and executive chair of the Business Integrity Leadership Initiative at the University of Arkansas – Sam M. Walton College of Business. She brings over 25 years of experience as a strategic senior executive, including 20 years at Walmart, Inc. where she served as SVP, U.S. Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer and SVP, Global Chief Ethics Officer, among other leadership positions. She has broad experience in many areas, including enterprise risk management, effective global governance practices, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, diversity and inclusion and sustainability. While at Walmart, she led the development and rapid deployment of technology and efficiency initiatives, including blockchain and other digital tools, for over 5,000 facilities. She also developed and implemented a global ethics program and team located in 27 countries for more than 2 million employees.
Topping has four decades of experience in the tobacco industry. He has held a variety of global leadership positions throughout the supply chain, working with both tobacco leaf merchants and cigarette manufacturers. He most recently worked with Japan Tobacco International and its predecessor companies, and served as VP - Global Leaf Sourcing prior to retiring in June 2018. Topping has wide-ranging global expertise, from both the merchant and cigarette manufacturer perspective, in leaf sourcing and procurement strategies, logistics, operations and sales throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
About Pyxus International, Inc.
Pyxus International, Inc. is a global agricultural company with more than 145 years' experience delivering value-added products and services to businesses and customers. Driven by a united purpose—to transform people's lives, so that together we can grow a better world—Pyxus International, its subsidiaries and affiliates, are trusted providers of responsibly sourced, independently verified, sustainable and traceable products and ingredients. For more information, visit www.pyxus.com.
