The management team at Botanic Oil Innovations is comprised of seasoned business professionals, aided by a group of specialist advisors.
Mark J. Mueller, President
Mark Mueller, a life long student of botany, is one of the founders of the Company and has served in his current capacity as President since 2003. With a Masters of Science Degree in Water Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin, Mark gained extensive experience in rural business innovation and technology programs, working for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Center for Economic Development, the Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NWRPC) and the Wisconsin Business Innovation Corporation (WBIC). As executive director of NWRPC and most recently as a consultant to that organization, he has been involved in strategic direction, development of a regional network of business enterprise centers and the formulation of equity financing fund.
John S. McKeon, Vice-Chairman
Jack McKeon retired in 2005 from ConAgra Foods where he served as president of the Venture Development Group. In that position, he was responsible for identifying emerging food and food-related investment opportunities for ConAgra and managing the company's interests in those enterprises. One of the opportunities that caught his eye was Botanic Oil Innovations. Jack joined ConAgra in 1993 as president of its Golden Valley Microwave Foods unit, a leading manufacturer of microwave popcorn and went on to lead the consolidated ConAgra Snack Foods Group. Prior to joining ConAgra, Jack was a principal for seventeen years in an investment banking business that specialized in mergers and acquisitions in the food industry. He was also a founding partner of The Food Fund, a venture capital company. An alumni of the University of Minnesota and General Mills, Jack also serves on a number of boards including that of Hawkins, Inc., a publicly-owned distributor of chemicals and pharmaceuticals in Minneapolis, where he is chairman.
Gregory R. (Greg) Palen, Chairman
Greg Palen has enjoyed a long and successful career as executive, entrepreneur and investor in companies spanning several industries. Botanic Oil Innovations and the Immuno-Viva line of products hold special importance to Greg. Having lost his mother to cancer, he is acutely concerned about advances in cancer research. Currently Greg is the CEO of the Palen/Kimball Company, chairman/CEO of Spectro Alloys Corporation and a managing partner of Palen Property Management. He serves as chairman of the Board for Polaris Industries, Inc. He also serves on the board of directors of a number of other corporations including Opus Northwest, LLC, Valspar Corporation and Fabcon, Inc. He holds a B.A. from St. John's University and a M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota.
