Divert, Inc., a circular economy company on a mission to prevent food from being wasted, announced a significant executive team transition as co-founder Nick Whitman retires from day-to-day operations following nearly 18 years of leadership. Whitman will continue to support the company鈥檚 rapid growth as a strategic advisor and member of Divert鈥檚 board of directors.
鈥淣ick has been an extraordinary co-founder and partner,鈥� said Ryan Begin, CEO and co-founder, Divert. 鈥淭ogether, we鈥檝e built a transformative company, driven by our shared values and passion to create a more sustainable world. I am profoundly grateful for Nick鈥檚 strategic insights, steadfast leadership, creativity, and partnership in establishing an exceptional team. Divert is well-positioned to scale rapidly nationwide, and I am excited that Nick will remain on the board.鈥�
Since 2007, Whitman and Begin have worked relentlessly to address the wasted food crisis. Their visionary work has established the company鈥檚 leadership in sustainable infrastructure and circular solutions that drive meaningful change.
During Whitman鈥檚 tenure, Divert processed more than 3.2 billion pounds of unsold food and facilitated the donation of more than 13 million meals to feed people in need. The company secured a $1 billion infrastructure development agreement to support the scaling of its nationwide infrastructure to 30 facilities to be within 100 miles of 80% of the population. The first of these Integrated Diversion & Energy Facilities opened in Turlock, California in Q4 2024, marking a significant milestone in the company鈥檚 expansion roadmap.
Whitman has been integral to every aspect of building Divert into an innovative industry leader. Over the past 18 years, he served in many capacities as chief operating officer, leading finance, marketing, legal, people, IT, fundraising, and strategic planning at various points. Among Whitman鈥檚 enduring contributions to the company鈥檚 success is partnering with Begin to attract and retain a world-class management team that will continue to advance Divert鈥檚 mission.
鈥淚 am incredibly proud of Divert鈥檚 enduring impact and my long-time partnership with Ryan,鈥� said Whitman. 鈥淔rom signing our first customers, to building our first prototype, to hiring our first employees, we have built Divert into a leader that is making a lasting impact on the world. I am eager to continue to support Divert鈥檚 rapid growth and leadership team as we scale our infrastructure and technologies.鈥�