Manager Engineer

Michael J. Friesema

**W*** Tall Pines Road *************@*****.***

Elgin, IL 60124 Mobile: +1-630-***-****

Summary

Accomplished Senior Executive with demonstrated success in P&L management of businesses ranging from start-up

to $100+ million/year. Successful at both transforming business units from loss to profitability and also leading and

growing customer-focused manufacturing organizations. Strong manufacturing and technical background with

considerable international experience. Able to communicate effectively across all levels and disciplines in any size

organization. An effective team builder that is adept at creating global alliances and partnerships in the food,

industrial biotech, specialty chemical and agriculture processing industries.

Career Experience

Corn Products International, W estchester, IL (Recruited back) 2005 – 2009

General Manager – Africa and Sr. Director – Engineering, Asia-Africa Division

Responsible for all activities in Africa, coordinating Regulatory Affairs for the Asia-Africa Division and directing a staff

of engineers that conducted manufacturing optimization, process development, project management and acquisition

activities for operations throughout Asia and Africa.

Led the turnaround to profitability and managed an operating business in Kenya that manufactures food and

industrial products for East Africa.

Developed a strategy to enter markets in West Africa and began implementation by establishing a new business

entity in Nigeria.

Strengthened a business partnership in S. Africa by providing technical and business support.

Initiated company-wide effort identifying and procuring process equipment from China reducing costs several

million dollars each year.

Instituted new Regulatory Affairs procedures that improved quality, safety and environmental compliance.

Entrepreneurial Activities 2002 – 2005

zuChem Inc., Chicago, IL

2003 – 2005

Chief Operating Officer and President – Food Ingredients

Led food ingredient organization and actively involved in all venture capital and investment capital related activities of

the Company.

Developed and executed a plan establishing business partnerships for food, fine chemical and pharmaceutical

intermediate process technologies.

Led the successful amendment of the FDA’s Food Additive Petition for mannitol.

Participated in the development and execution of a new, transformational Strategic Plan, re-focusing efforts on

glycochemical synthesis and pharmaceutical applications of the technology.

Capstan LLC,

President and Chief Operating Officer Designate, W ilmette, IL 2002 – 2003

Provided leadership in all aspects of establishing a new company. Presented business and acquisition plans to

various institutional investors and lenders.

Developed a business plan for fermentation based vitamins and nutraceutical products that became the

foundation of a new business entity.

Identified and prioritized acquisition targets. Negotiated with three target companies, resulting in a signed Letter

of Intent with a major multinational pharmaceutical company for the purchase of a food and industrial product

subsidiary.

Led Due Diligence efforts, discovering significant operational challenges on a timely basis.

2002 – 2004

Independent Consultant

Formulated business strategies for companies ranging from start-ups in the industrial biotech, food, skin care and

nutraceutical markets to larger food, feed additive and biotech companies.

Created a product development strategy for a multinational industrial biotech company, re-focusing development

efforts and creating a significant new product.

Provided process design and manufacturing cost estimation for new fermentation based products, allowing better

prioritization of research efforts.

Successfully identified potential acquisition targets for an investment banking company.

MICHAEL FRIESEMA +1-630-***-**** Page two

Enzyme Bio-Systems Ltd., Beloit, WI 1993 – 2002

Division of Corn Products International

1997 – 2002

President

1993 – 1997

General Manager and Vice President

Led the turnaround of a previously unprofitable business into a consistently profitable organization. Successfully

managed the organization through the sale of the business and transition to new ownership.

Forged and implemented business strategies ensuring effective competition with much larger rivals.

Improved cost competitiveness and quality by:

Introducing new products at a rate of approximately two each year,

Expanding geographically into 8 new countries,

Improving quality by obtaining ISO 9002 and then ISO 9001 registrations,

Increasing capacity utilization by nearly 20%,

Driving manufacturing yield improvements through focused strain development and process improvements,

Streamlining the 90 person organization reducing costs and improving customer focus.

Developed and introduced new products and services for the fuel ethanol industry increasing market share.

Guided a focused and efficient R&D and Regulatory Affairs effort introducing numerous successful rDNA and non

recombinant new food and industrial products.

Managed over $25 M of capital spending projects focused on capacity expansion, new product introductions,

regulatory compliance, asset replacement and cost reduction.

Established a toll manufacturing business that led to better, more profitable use of existing capabilities.

Developed successful long term relationships with a variety of customers, distributors and suppliers as well as

other companies in the food, fuel ethanol, feed and industrial biotech fields.

Led successful efforts to deal with a wide assortment of environmental, health, safety and permitting issues.

Corn Products, Bedford Park, IL 1981 – 1993

Division of CPC International

1992 – 1993

Business Manager – Starches

1988 – 1992

Product Manager – Starches

Coordinated all business aspects for a product line of food and industrial grade starches manufactured at six

production facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada with annual volumes in excess of 1 Billion pounds and sales of

greater than $100M per year.

Increased profitability of the product line each year, adding $11 Million to annual Operating Income by:

Growing sales volumes via improved production planning.

Shifting sales to more profitable customers.

Changing customer contracting mechanisms to first improve and then maintain higher margins.

Introducing three new, higher value added products that strategically repositioned the company within a key

customer segment.

Upgrading and better utilizing the technical service capabilities.

Implemented the Company’s “Total Quality Excellence” process that helped institute a customer-focused culture

throughout the organization.

Other Relevant Work Experience:

Manager – Financial Analysis and Planning, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Senior Financial Analyst, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Operations Support Manager, Bedford Park, IL

Associate Engineer and Training Coordinator, Stockton, CA

Assistant Engineer and Shift Supervisor, Bedford Park, IL

Education

Masters – Business Administration, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI

Bachelors – Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Board Memberships

Board Member, NuPotential Inc. 2004 – Present

Board of Advisors Member, iSoy Technologies LLC 2004 – 2005

Board Member, zuChem, Inc. 2003 – 2005

Board Member, Enzyme Bio-Systems Ltd. 1993 – 2002

President, 1997 and Board Member, Stateline United Way 1994 – 1998

President, 1997 – 1999 and Board Member, Wisconsin Biotechnology Association 1996 – 2001

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