Francisco J. Villazon

Francisco J. Villazon has a diverse and extensive work experience spanning over three decades. Francisco J. has held various leadership positions in different companies, displaying their expertise in business development, operations management, and risk management.

Francisco's most recent role was as the Vice President of Business Development at Olam since January 2020. Prior to that, they served as the Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at ECOM USA, LLC from August 2016 to December 2019, where they were responsible for overseeing multiple departments and achieving sales exceeding $500 million annually.

From April 2009 to October 2016, Francisco worked as the Asia Pacific Managing Director at ECOM AGROINDUSTRIAL ASIA PTE LTD. In this role, they were responsible for setting up and managing a regional business platform in China for various commodities, such as cotton, coffee, cocoa products, and white sugar. Francisco J. also supervised a multicultural executive team and provided support services to other ECOM offices in the Far East.

Francisco also has a notable tenure at ECOM USA, INC., where they served as the Chief Operating Officer/Vice President from March 2001 to July 2009. During this time, they successfully restructured the operations department, improved supply chain execution, and implemented risk controls.

Prior to their career at ECOM, Francisco worked as a Latin America Cotton Trader at ECOM USA, INC. from August 1998 to March 2001. Their responsibilities included business development in Latin America markets, implementing export credit insurance, and building strong relationships with clients, sales agents, and local authorities.

Before joining ECOM, Francisco held the position of Business Operations Manager at Agroindustrias Unidas de Mexico SA de CV from August 1995 to July 1998. Francisco J. oversaw purchases, domestic and export sales, risk management strategies, and the coordination of various departments.

Francisco's early career included an internship in Business Process Re-engineering at Bital Financial Group (now HSBC Mexico) in 1994 and an Internship/Supervisor role at Procter & Gamble from September 1990 to August 1993.

Throughout their career, Francisco has consistently demonstrated strong leadership skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive business growth.

Francisco J. Villazon has a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Panamericana, which they earned from 1988 to 1993. Francisco J. also has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Business Administration and Management from IPADE Business School, which they completed from 1993 to 1995. In addition, they have attended various seminars and obtained certifications in the fields of Agribusiness and Technical Arbitration. Francisco J. attended a CEO Agribusiness Seminar at the University of California, Davis in 2013, a Technical Arbitrator program at the International Cotton Asociation in 2011, an Agribusiness Seminar in Shanghai, China offered by Harvard Business School in 2011, and an Agribusiness Seminar in Boston, also offered by Harvard Business School, in 2001.