Farmers Business Network (FBN®) on Feb. 16 announced the appointment of John Vaske to the role of CEO. FBN Co-Founder and current CEO Amol Deshpande will step down as CEO effective Feb. 28 to pursue other interests.
Vaske steps into the role having served on FBN’s Board of Directors since 2017. Raised on a farm in Iowa, Vaske brings more than three decades of expertise in agriculture and technology, and most recently served as the Head, Americas and Head, Agribusiness for Temasek (until 2021), one of the world’s most active global agri-food investors.
“Amol and the FBN team have done the unimaginable since founding FBN nine years ago,” said FBN Board Chair Kathleen Ligocki. “FBN has become a global platform disrupting one of the most complex, difficult, and entrenched industries in the world, with one of the world’s most important customers, family farms.
“Humanity’s future literally depends on our farmers, and Amol and the team had the vision and tenacity to challenge the system to create a more financially and environmentally sustainable farm system. I believe that John, as a proven expert in agriculture and technology companies, is exactly the right person to lead the company, as it continues to transform the agricultural system in the coming years,” she added.