MartinBauer Announces New CEO in North America, Dr. Michael Wagner

SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY: October 1, 2024 – MartinBauer, the leading Germany-based manufacturer and marketer of fine teas and botanical ingredients, today formally introduced Dr. Michael Wagner (Mike) as its new Chief Executive Officer in North America.

The succession is part of a leadership change within the Group that has seen Anne Wedel-Klein appointed as the nature network CEO, succeeding Albert Ferstl who is deservedly entering a new phase of his life. Anne, a fourth-generation member of the family business, has been with the company for thirteen years. Albert, who was with the group for thirty-four years, led it through times of expansion, also with a focus on the U.S. market.

Mike is an accomplished and respected leader, grown within our Company through various roles of responsibility over the past ten years, with a proven record in operations and innovation, and a deep knowledge of market, product, and process. Mike earned his PhD in Food Engineering at Cornell University, and he is pursuing his MBA at William and Mary.

“As we embark on the next phase of our growth in the United States, we have deliberately groomed our local CEO internally, with the intent of strengthening our position across the tea, food & beverage, and dietary supplement markets. Mike’s deep knowledge of such markets and their ever-evolving product and application requirements will be a key asset for our future,” said Sebastian Sieben, MartinBauer CEO.

“Mentoring Mike into his new role and working alongside him on major projects has been one of the greatest rewards of my recent professional life, and I am very proud of the Company’s choice”, said former CEO Ennio Ranaboldo who will be taking on a new role as Board Member of MartinBauer North America, with the mandate to work on the long-term growth strategy. 

“I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to lead such an excellent organization. We have best in class products and a deeply committed team of people from the front office to the dock doors. I am excited to build on the powerful base that we have established over the past few years.” said Mike Wagner, CEO North America.

About MartinBauer

Since 1930, MartinBauer stands for expertise in premium tea and botanical solutions worldwide. We collaborate with our customers to develop tailor-made solutions for the tea, food and beverage, dietary supplement, and animal nutrition industries. Our products are created from responsibly sourced, high quality botanical raw material from more than eighty countries, which undergo gentle processing to ensure they maintain their positive attributes. With more than twenty manufacturing sites and sales units worldwide, we keep our finger on the pulse of our customers’ local markets. Our goal is to drive creativity and innovation for successful products of tomorrow. MartinBauer, a fourth-generation family business, employs more than 2,400 people worldwide — many of them with decades of experience — committed to maintain your competitive edge.