About Our Team

Verdelis Investments is managed by an unsurpassed team of agricultural industry and financial experts. Meet our Principals, Affiliate Consultants, and Select Collaborators.

Principals

Bob Trogele

Bob Trogele, Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Ulrich (Bob) Trogele has enjoyed a 35-plus-year leadership career in global agribusiness, most recently as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for American Vanguard Corporation (NYSE: AVD), from which he retired in May 2024. Now Bob continues his journey and parlays his many industry contacts and extensive experience in agriculture and agribusiness as CEO of Verdelis Investments, a multi-faceted venture and growth equity management firm focused on ag-tech and operated by ProAgInvest LLC. Bob, long a champion of agricultural technology and sustainability, is especially knowledgeable and passionate about precision agriculture and green chemistry and biologicals—Verdelis Investments’ two major target areas. Additionally, Bob is a highly successful and innovative businessman who holds a doctorate in business from the University of Göttingen in his native Germany and educates MBA students at the Berlin School of Economics & Law. He is based in Newport Beach, California, USA.

Ralph Pastore

Ralph Pastore, Chief Financial Officer

Ralph Pastore brings more than 50 years of experience in finance and accounting across various industries. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in New York since 1972, Ralph began his career in the audit and tax division of Price Waterhouse and worked with Nabisco Brands before establishing his own accounting and tax consulting firm, building a client base of over 500 businesses. An accomplished author, he has published numerous articles on U.S. taxation for foreign entities.