October 27/Philadelphia/Press Release -- Ottens Flavors appointed Jeff Gerdes as vice president of business development and marketing. Reporting to the CEO, Gary Lane, Gerdes will oversee all sales and marketing activities, including strategic direction and management of the company’s worldwide business development and marketing initiatives.

According to Lane, “We are very excited to have someone with Jeff’s track record join Ottens Flavors. He will play an integral role in shaping Ottens’ strategic vision and in expanding our market share.”

Gerdes joins Ottens Flavors after serving as vice president of sales for Autocrat Inc., a supplier of coffee and tea extracts. He was also previously employed by Firmenich, serving as business development manager, director of sales and vice president of sales.