Appoints President and Chief Operating Officer
MILTON, GA, Oct. 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Attis Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATIS) (the “Company” or “Attis”), a diversified company focused on innovation and technology throughout key components of the new economy, which include renewable fuels, bio-based plastics, healthcare and communications infrastructure, today announced the appointments of J. Gregory Pilewicz as President of the Company and Mark Schifani as Chief Operation Officer of the Company by a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Additionally, Mr. Pilewicz, Mr. Schifani and Mr. Chris Diaz, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, were granted three (3) year employment agreements.
Mr. Pilewicz, 55, has over 16 years of senior management experience. Previously he served as President of Esmark, Inc. and was a member of their Board of Directors from 2009 to 2017. Additionally, he held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Esmark Industrial Group, the Company’s machining and fabrication business. During his tenure at Esmark, Mr. Pilewicz developed a great deal of experience across a number of industries, including energy, healthcare, industrial manufacturing, technology, and financial services. He additionally worked for Esmark, Inc. from 2006-2008 as Senior Vice President. During that period at Esmark, he worked closely with the CEO to lead the highly successful takeover of Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Corp. while effectively working with the multiple lines of business, providing organizational leadership and restructuring, financial and operational management, while focusing on shareholder value. From 2003 through 2006, Mr. Pilewicz worked for UnitedHealth Group and its financial services company named Exante Financial Services (currently known as Optum Bank). During his time at UHC, he worked on the convergence of healthcare and financial services, working extensively at reducing costs in health insurance. Mr. Pilewicz also worked for PNC Bank for 17 years holding positions in Commercial Lending and Treasury Management during that period. During his later years while at the Bank, he was part of a new organization capitalized by both PNC and Perot Systems focused on the early stages of the electronic invoicing and payment process where most of that same technology is being used today. Mr. Pilewicz holds a BS in Finance from the Pennsylvania State University. He and his wife Maura currently reside in Sewickley, PA and have three children (Jake, Adam and Emily).
Jeff Cosman, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer said, “Greg Pilewicz has a proven track record in company transformation and delivering shareholder value. He is an energetic and strong leader with deep knowledge of industrial businesses, healthcare, finance and technology, and an intense focus on execution, organization and talent development. The board looks forward to working with Greg and his team to help the Company develop and grow while experiencing long-term success.”
MarkSchifani, 51, is an accomplished leader with significant business acumen in finance, sales, market development and operations, as well as a team-oriented professional with more than 20 years of experience creating business sustainability across multiple disciplines. Mr. Schifani is an energetic and service-oriented leader who consistently demonstrates desire to lead by example. Mr. Schifani, in the past, has developed the business processes and people needed to build, grow and engage teams to perform and exceed expected results. Mr. Schifani has held numerous positions in the waste industry, including Region Controller, Assistant Corporate Controller and positions in Market Development. Mr. Schifani spent most of his career with BFI and Republic Services, where he was awarded the Finance Leader of the Year (2013). As Region Controller, Mr. Schifani was responsible for $750 million in revenue, 50 locations across 6 states and over 2,000 employees. Mr. Schifani earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Memphis. He and his wife Tina live in Roswell, GA and have three children (Joe, John and Hannah).
“I’m excited to announce Mark’s appointment as our COO. His ability to integrate new acquisitions should help move the Company to the level of service and rigor that our customers and shareholders expect,” stated Mr. Cosman. Mr. Cosman continued, “Mark was a large part of growing and bringing professional standards in his past companies. I look forward to working with Mark as we continue our efforts to build Attis Industries into a premier company.”
Mr. Chris Diaz, 52, has been the Company’s Chief Financial Officer since April 2017 and has played an instrumental role in the Company divesting its solid waste business earlier this year and transitioning its focus into the healthcare, medical waste, and environmental technology sectors. Mr. Diaz will continue to lead all aspects of financial reporting and accounting for the Company. The Board re-affirmed its commitment to Mr. Diaz by awarding him a three-year employment agreement.
For more information, see the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 15, 2018.
Attis Industries, Inc.
Attis Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: ATIS) is a holding company focused on developing and building businesses that play important roles in the new economy, which include renewable fuels, bio-based plastics, healthcare and communications infrastructure.We strive to encourage our employees to be entrepreneurs focused on innovation and technology. We will remain dynamic, persistent and motivated to our mission of winning. The growth of our company will rely on our integrity and our vision for the future. Attis Industries will continue to fulfill essential needs in healthcare, energy independence and digital communications. Today, each of these sectors provide high growth opportunities that collectively account for more than a third of our nations GDP. For more information, visit: www.attisind.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “should,” “would” or similar words. You should consider these statements carefully because they discuss our plans, targets, strategies, prospects and expectations concerning our business, operating results, financial condition and other similar matters. These statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's ability to develop, market and sell products based on its technology; the expected benefits and efficacy of the Company's products and technology; the availability of substantial additional funding for the Company to continue its operations and to conduct research and development, clinical studies and future product commercialization; and, the Company's business, research, product development, regulatory approval, marketing and distribution plans and strategies; the ability of the Company to continue to meet the listing requirements of NASDAQ; the ability of the Company to execute on a business plan that permits the technologies and innovations businesses to provide sufficient growth, revenue, liquidity and cash flows for sustaining the Company’s go-forward business, and the risks identified and discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Attis Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 16, 2018 and the other documents Attis files with the SEC from time to time. There will be events in the future, however, that Attis is not able to predict accurately or control. Attis’s actual results may differ materially from the expectations that Attis describes in its forward-looking statements. Factors or events that could cause Attis’s actual results to materially differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Attis to accurately predict all of them. Any forward-looking statement made by Attis in this press release speaks only as of the date on which Attis makes it. Attis undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.