NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rabobank, a leading global food and agribusiness bank, has appointed Gregg Fatzinger and Dean Asofsky as co-heads of its Wholesale Banking Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) business in North America.

The appointments reflect Rabobank’s growing M&A advisory presence in North America and globally, including recent deals such as Marfrig’s pending $969 million acquisition of a 51% controlling interest in National Beef and Fresh Del Monte’s $361 million acquisition of Mann Packing. Asofsky and Fatzinger are based in New York and will lead a North American team that falls under Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions Don Meltzer, and that is part of Rabobank’s corporate banking business in North America under David Bassett, Head of Wholesale Banking North America.

Rabobank also announced that Asem Mokaddem has joined the New York-based Wholesale Banking M&A team as a Managing Director under Fatzinger and Asofsky, focusing on Rabobank’s global M&A business in the Packaging & Paper sector, a critical component of the bank’s Supply Chain sector.

"More than ever, the North American M&A business is a critical component of Rabobank's global M&A growth strategy,” said Meltzer, who was the previous North American Head of M&A but will now focus on his global M&A role. “With their combined experience in the M&A and food and ag space, Gregg and Dean are the perfect people to drive our business forward here and globally while Asem brings us key expertise and relationships in our supply chain sector."

Asofsky, who has a 25-year career in investment banking and law, has been a Managing Director with Rabobank's North America M&A team in New York since joining the bank in 2015. Previous to Rabobank, he worked in the M&A business at Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley. He holds an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a law degree from the New York University School of Law.

Fatzinger joined Rabobank in New York in 2016 as Managing Director, M&A and has focused nearly exclusively on the food and agriculture sector over his 22-plus year career on Wall Street. Previously, Fatzinger led strategic banking teams in the consumer industry at Credit Suisse and Nomura International. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania-Wharton School.

Mokaddem was most recently Director, Corporate Planning and Business Development at Sonoco Products Co., where he completed multiple transactions. Prior to Sonoco, Asem spent more than 15 years in the Packaging and Paper sector, most recently as a Managing Director and Director at Macquarie Capital, and previously at Barclays/Lehman Brothers. Mokaddem has an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Mississippi and an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

“Since they joined the bank, Dean and Gregg have been pivotal in our key Wholesale Banking strategies: delivering added value to our clients and prospects and differentiating ourselves in the industry through our sector-based approach to M&A,” said Bassett. “In their new leadership roles, they will continue the strong momentum we have built in M&A over the past two years."

About Rabobank

Rabobank Group is a global financial services leader providing wholesale and retail banking, leasing, and real estate services in more than 40 countries worldwide. Founded over a century ago, Rabobank today is one of the world’s largest banks with over $750 billion in assets. In the Americas, Rabobank is a premier bank to the food, agribusiness and beverage industry, providing sector expertise, strategic counsel and tailored financial solutions to clients across the entire food value chain. Rabobank’s M&A business is conducted through Rabo Securities USA, Inc., a U.S. registered broker dealer and member of FINRA. Additional information is available on our website or on our social media platforms, including Twitter and LinkedIn.