Our Team
John Welisch, President and CEO
John joined the firm in 1980 and worked with his father, Jack, for more than 20 years. John became president in 1992 and continued to work alongside his father until Jack's retirement.
Alexandra Welisch, Vice President
Ali literally grew up in the business founded by her great grandfather, Walter. Ali joined the firm in 2017 after graduating from Marist College, NY, with a BA in Business Administration.
John and Ali are the firm's principal liaisons with clients and suppliers. They personally handle negotiating, advisory, and consulting activities. Active in the rice community, they hold membership in a variety of industry associations and serve on many USA Rice Committees, including the Sustainability, Domestic Usage, Regulatory Affairs and Food Safety, Domestic Promotion, and World Market Price Committees.
Shella Zhou, Rice Market Analyst
Shella supports our in-depth market intelligence with analysis of domestic and world rice market dynamics and trends, relationships among commodity markets, and their implications for the current and future states of the rice industry. She is a two-time graduate of the University of California, with economic degrees from UC Berkeley and UC Davis.
Account Managers
Our team of Account Managers delivers day-to-day rice contract management, purchasing support, and logistics services. They are also responsible for keeping clients up to date, trouble-shooting, and ensuring a swift response to all client needs and requests. Each client is paired with a team member who is the designated "go-to" person for that account. We cross-train every team member so all clients can be assured of continuous coverage.
Jackie Quiros, Executive Account Manager
Pauline Stanford, Senior Account Manager
Elizabeth Corvino, Account Manager
Ashley Martin, Account Manager
Nicole Huntley, Account Manager
Jennifer Thorman, Account Manager
Information Technology Specialists
Two information technology professionals oversee the ongoing development, maintenance, and operation of our proprietary rice management and client information systems.