Jennifer Black: A Visionary CFO Leading Global Transformation

Jennifer Black, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Sadot Group Inc., an emerging player in the global food supply chain. Sadot provides innovative and sustainable supply chain solutions that address the world’s growing food security challenges.

Born and raised in Godley Texas with a strong work ethic and deep family values, Jennifer is proud to highlight that she built her career via hard work, dedication and true grit. From the start, Jennifer learned to work hard for what she wanted and realized that nothing was beyond her reach if she was willing to put in the effort.

Ms. Black leads Sadot Group by conveying the company’s vision into short- and long-term business plans. She is also involved in conducting due diligence for potential mergers and acquisitions and collaborating with all company departments including accounting, finance, insurance, operations, IT, taxes, and HR. Jennifer believes in inspiring team members by sharing the company’s vision and elevating the team’s skillsets to achieve success. Setting clear goals is crucial to ensure everyone is aligned and working towards shared objectives. By adopting a transformational leadership style, Jennifer thrives on continuous improvement and a hands-on approach. Understanding every process thoroughly allows her to pinpoint areas for enhancement. She prioritizes inspiring and empowering her team, encouraging autonomy and innovative thinking for a highly engaged and proactive work environment.

Sadot Group Inc. is an emerging player in the global food supply chain. The company now engaged in farming, operates a 5,000-acre grain and tree crop producing farm in Zambia and transports tons of feed and food products worldwide. Additionally, Sadot owns carbon credits, supporting its dedication to sustainability. Sadot prioritizes sustainability and ESG and is establishing a board committee and implementing impactful projects at its farm in Zambia. With its innovative supply chain solutions, Sadot addresses the world’s growing food security challenges. Among supply chain companies, Sadot stands out by being nimble in the market and expanding into new territories.

The company recently added commodity trade routes in the Americas and launched a subsidiary in Brazil. The company’s goal is to continue enhancing the Sadot Group, Inc. global operations by creating a comprehensive, global Agri-Foods company that spans across sustainable farming, agricultural commodity shipping and trading, warehousing and production. The plan is to continue this growth organically and through strategic mergers and acquisitions.

In 2023, Sadot transitioned from a U.S.focused $10 million restaurant business to a global $700 million Agri-Food commodity supply-chain entity. This shift involved expanding commodity trading from the Americas to Southeast Asia, China, and the MENA region, establishing hubs in Miami and Brazil, and acquiring farmland in Zambia. The team navigated acquisition integrations, ERP development, global staffing adjustments, implementing changes and focusing on ongoing process refinement. Sadot’s primary goals include successfully transitioning from a restaurant centric organization to an international Agri-Foods supply chain entity, developing consistent systems for a unified global infrastructure, and expanding the vertical integration strategy in the food supply chain. The integration of systems between companies and countries, overcoming cultural obstacles, addressing currencies, regulations, and government criteria was complex.

Jennifer highlights that the team’s resilience and strategic approach enabled them to achieve these goals, marking a significant transformation for Sadot. When it comes to evaluating Sadot’s competition in the global agri-food industry, Jennifer tells us that Sadot faces significant competition based on factors like price, exchange rates, quality, global supply, and alternative products. In this commodity-centric business, ongoing efforts focus on managing unit costs, enhancing efficiency through technology, and boosting productivity. Food supply chains encompass a wide range of verticals. Despite being an emerging player in the global Agri-Foods space, Sadot benefits from seasoned management and consultants with decades of industry experience, building a strong reputation. In the past year, Sadot launched operations in the US, EU, and South America, strengthening its position in key global markets. The aim is to diversify into new products, locations, business verticals, and financing, enhancing its supply chain and market presence.