Aunt Fannie’s Inc. named Adam Wilczewski, former chief of staff at the United States International Trade Administration (ITA), an executive vice president this week. Aunt Fannie’s is the creator of FlyPunch, a nontoxic fruit fly pesticide made from natural ingredients that has quickly gained ground in retail and commercial markets in the United States and abroad.
Wilczewski, a longtime friend of CEO Mat Franken, had invested in the company in February 2014 through his St. Louis-based business development and investment firm, Busch Global Ventures (BGV). He said throughout the course of the year he had spent a lot of hands-on time with the company and, seeing its potential, became interested in an inside position. BGV will remain open in St. Louis, but his focus will be on Aunt Fannie’s, Wilczewski said.
Prior to founding Busch Global Ventures, Wilczewski led the efforts at the ITA under the U.S. Department of Commerce to strengthen the domestic and international competitiveness of U.S. industry through multilateral trade and investment activities. He also has served in leadership roles in four presidential campaigns.
“Adam comes to us with years of global leadership experience spanning prestigious roles in government, corporate, entrepreneurial, international, legal and fundraising sectors,” said Franken. “It is truly an honor to have Adam as such an important part of these next phases of our growth … Adam’s deep experience across multiple sectors will enable us to capitalize on these global demands for our offerings and enable us to continue to scale, empowering individuals and corporations to handle fruit flies safely, effectively and naturally.”
“[Franken] is like a brother, so the chemistry is exciting. It’s fun to be with your buddy,” Wilczewski said. He added that Greenville is a “beautiful city to live and work.” His wife and daughter will join him in Greenville this weekend.
