DENVER — Ardent Mills, a premier flour milling and ingredient company servicing the baking industry and beyond, has announced the arrival of Manoj Rana to the team as its new VP of corporate and business development.
In this newly created position, Rana will partner with leaders across the industry to identify future business ventures that align with the company’s long-term growth strategy.
“Ardent Mills’ mission is to enhance the quality of life and standard of health, a purpose we serve by providing nutritious and innovative grain-based solutions to communities everywhere,” said Dan Dye, CEO at Ardent Mills. “As the flour milling business evolves and the growth of plant-based ingredients continues to play a critical role in the food industry, we are confident Manoj has the skills and expertise to help our business explore its long-term potential so we can continue to transform how the world is nourished.”
His work will have a special focus on enabling growth for both the company itself and its customers in the emerging nutrition space.
Ardent Mills is focused on driving growth for our customers, and Manoj’s extensive leadership experience in the corporate development space will be an integral part of Ardent Mills’ long-term strategy to cultivate the future of alternative grains,” said Angie Goldberg, chief growth officer at Ardent Mills.
Rana is a seasoned leader in mergers and acquisitions and corporate development, bringing 15 years of experience to the position. He held previous roles with Tyson Foods and Deutsche Bank Consumer Investment banking group, where he advised clients primarily in the food sector.
“As plant-based food trends continue to grow, this is a very exciting time to join Ardent Mills,” Rana said. “The company has tremendous history in this space and strong momentum following several significant and recent investments, from multiple acquisitions in alternative grains like quinoa, chickpea and gluten-free, to investments in people, technology and infrastructure. Ardent Mills is truly at the forefront of emerging nutrition.”
