TAMPA, Fla. (AgPR) | BRANDT today welcomed another entrepreneur to its board of directors. Brad Oleshansky, one of the most dynamic businessmen in the greater Tampa area, will bring creativity, drive and competitiveness to the company.
“When we look for new board members, we are looking for entrepreneurs who know how to see opportunities and take appropriate risks,” said Rick Brandt, President and CEO of BRANDT. “That pretty much defines Brad. Brad has an incredible track record of seeing the future, refusing to hear no and achieving things that have been described as impossible.”
Oleshansky was elected to a one-year term by the BRANDT shareholders; he joins ten other directors and one consultant.
As you would expect, Oleshansky has an eclectic and varied background. After spending 12 years as an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles, Oleshansky helped run a digital marketing firm in Michigan. After exiting that business, he conceived, developed and built M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Mich. He exited that business in 2019 to build The Motor Enclave in Tampa, Fla.
“BRANDT is a company on the move and I am thrilled to join its board,” Oleshansky said. “To me, this is the perfect fit: Even though it has been in business for more than 70 years, BRANDT is still innovating, trying new things and looking to new markets. That’s where I think my experience and expertise can really help the Board and the company overall.”
Oleshansky is a graduate of Ithaca College (Ithaca, N.Y.) and Southwestern University School of Law (Los Angeles, Calif.).
Oleshansky is a two-time winner of the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (in 2012 for Big Communications and 2018 for M1 Concourse) and was a judge for the competition from 2019-2022. He is on the advisory board of the venture capital fund, Huron River Ventures, and he is a board member for ORT, a global charity focused on education.
In other BRANDT board changes, De Willard, founder of Willard Agri-Service, is retiring from the BRANDT board after 21 years of service. Also retiring is board consultant Bob Walbaum. Walbaum started working as outside counsel to BRANDT in 1968. Both Willard and Walbaum joined the BRANDT Board as directors in 2003.
“De and Bob have been incredible contributors and incredible board members for BRANDT,” said Brandt. “It’s not enough to say thank you for your service. Bob, for example, has worked with BRANDT for more than 56 years. These gentlemen were instrumental in helping BRANDT grow in ways that we could never imagine. We wish them the absolute best in their much-deserved retirement. We are going to miss them both.”
About BRANDT
A leading turf and agricultural input company, BRANDT serves growers around the globe. Founded in 1953 by Glen Brandt and his sister Evelyn Brandt Thomas to help Illinois farmers adopt new and profitable technologies, the company has experienced aggressive growth under the leadership of President and CEO Rick Brandt.
For more information, visit BRANDT on the web at www.brandt.co.
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