The Gavilon Group LLC announces the change in two roles on its executive team. Steven Zehr has been named CEO of Gavilon, and Lewis Batchelder has retired and will transition into a new role as consultant and member of the board of directors at Gavilon, both effective April 1, 2019.
Zehr joined Gavilon in 2011 and has held the position of COO since 2017. He brings more than 25 years of agriculture experience that includes key leadership positions in financial management, strategic planning, and commercial operations all over the world, including the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, and Germany.
“We have been incredibly lucky to have had Lew Batchelder as our CEO and I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue working with him in our new roles,” says Zehr. “Lew shaped the future for Gavilon and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue building on that success by remaining focused on meeting the needs of our producers and customers of agricultural products across the globe.”
Batchelder joined Gavilon as CEO in 2016 with more than 40 years of experience in the grain industry. Gavilon will continue to rely on Lew’s industry experience to continue to grow and meet the needs of the agricultural supply chain.
“When I started at Gavilon, it was apparent that Gavilon already had an exceptional level of talent across the organization. It was a pleasure to work with, coach and learn from my colleagues during my tenure as CEO of Gavilon,” says Batchelder. “I am proud of everything we were able to accomplish and honored to remain a part of the organization going forward. I have the utmost confidence in Steve and look forward to the growth and success that Gavilon can achieve under Steven’s leadership.”
