Michael D. Mengar
President & CEO
Mr. Mengar joined Hudson’s Bay and Annings London in its Madison, Wisconsin branch in 1978, where he solicited ranch and wild fur for the London company. In 1981, he was appointed Manager of the Madison operation.
In 1986, he transferred to Hong Kong to act as the Far East representative for all three Hudson’s Bay Company auction houses (London, New York and Toronto ), gaining valuable experience among Japanese, Hong Kong and Korean fur manufacturers, exporters and retailers. In 1987 he returned to Toronto as Vice-President, US Operations for Ranch Mink and Fox. With the purchase of the New York operation, Mr. Mengar was appointed President and CEO for New York in 1990 and then President of the North American Fur Auctions Group in 1997.
In April 2009, the Board appointed Mr. Mengar as CEO of the NAFA group to succeed Mr. Herman Jansen.
Mr. Mengar has 35 years experience in the business, and has served on many boards including the Hong Kong Fur Federation, Fur Information Council of America (FICA) and Fur Wraps the Hill (FWTH).
Herman Jansen
Managing Director
Mr. Jansen joined Hudson’s Bay and Annings in London in 1966 and completed a two-year training program in Fur Technology. In 1968, he represented the Company in Holland and was appointed Manager of Dutch Operations in 1969. He transferred to the United States in 1971 as Account Executive and was appointed Manager of North American Operations in 1974. He transferred to Hudson’s Bay Company Fur Sales Canada Limited as Vice-President Marketing in 1984. In 1987 he was appointed Senior Vice-President, in 1989 President and CEO, and in 1997 Chairman and CEO of the North American Fur Auctions Group.
Mr. Jansen has 45 years experience in the business.
Doug Lawson
Senior Vice-President & CFO
Mr. Lawson has nearly 30 years of senior business and financial management experience across a diverse range of industries and size of businesses including Molson Breweries (consumer products), TecSyn International (TSE listed manufacturing company) and Bowne Internet Solutions (Internet solutions provider). Most recently, Doug was the Chief Financial Officer of Nexient Learning Inc., a public company traded on the NEX as “NXL.H”. Nexient Learning Inc. was the largest corporate training company in Canada and delivered the broadest choice of industry-recognized curricula in information technology, business process improvement and leadership and business skills until it was sold in August 2009.
Mr. Lawson has also worked as a consultant to a number of start-up companies in consumer packaged goods and technology industries and has expertise in strategic business planning, operations, financial analysis and modeling.
Mr. Lawson received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a Chartered Accountant with a further Corporate Finance designation granted by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. Doug has also earned the ICD.D certification granted by The Institute of Corporate Directors, the professional body representing the director community in Canada.
Diane Benedetti
Senior Vice President Marketing
Ms. Benedetti has over 35 years experience in the fur industry with an extensive background in the international marketing of fur fashion. Her career began in Chicago with the then largest fur retailer in the world and progressed with a move to Hong Kong. Here she gained invaluable experience working with major manufacturers on fur garment production, resourcing and international marketing.
In 1986 Ms. Benedetti joined Hudson’s Bay New York as its agent in Hong Kong. As Hudson’s Bay grew into NAFA, so too, Ms. Benedetti grew with the company. She was instrumental in opening the vast China market for NAFA and went on to serve the company as International Marketing Director before taking on her current role. Her pursuit of excellence in all markets has consistently driven NAFA to achieve its marketing goals and develop both the NAFA brand and image globally.
Gregg Dolinsky
Senior Vice President,
North American Operations
Mr. Dolinsky’s background includes over 29 years of experience in the fur industry. After receiving a degree in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1980, with an emphasis in marketing and management, Mr. Dolinsky started his career in the fur industry with The Minneapolis Fur Exchange. He was employed in a management position where he learned the technical and producer side of the business.
In 1982, he joined the Hudson’s Bay Company (Canada) as a Field Representative and Technician. His responsibilities were to gain market share for the company in the United States and to assist in the preparation and sale of the U.S. product sold in Canada.
Mr. Dolinsky was transferred to the Hudson’s Bay Company (New York) in 1986 and relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah to become a regional sales representative for the Utah, Idaho and Montana areas.
In 1988, Mr. Dolinsky was promoted to V.P. of Operations of Hudson’s Bay Company (New York) and later North American Fur Auctions. He has spent the last eleven years managing the U.S. technical and non-technical operations.
In 2009, Mr. Dolinsky was promoted to Senior V.P. of North American Operations where he is responsible for all the Technical and Non-Technical Operations of NAFA.
Sebastian Jansen
Senior Vice President & Managing Director,
Europe
Mr. Jansen has over thirty years experience in the fur business and began his career working on mink farms and grading mink. He and his family have been in the mink farming and auction business for three generations. Mr. Jansen earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is fluent in Dutch, English, Danish and German.
Mr. Jansen joined HBC in 1984 and has graded mink for many years throughout his career and has extensive experience in marketing and sales. Mr. Jansen represents NAFA’s European producers as a member of the Board of Directors of North American Fur Auctions.