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BioHarvest Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:BHST, FRA:8MV0) said on Wednesday it has appointed co-founder Dr Zaki Rakib as CEO, consolidating leadership of its research, manufacturing, and operations under a unified structure as the botanical technology company sharpens its growth strategy.
Rakib, who previously served as executive chairman, will take charge of the company’s contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) division.
Outgoing CEO Ilan Sobel, who has led the company since 2020, has transitioned off the executive team and joined the board of directors, where he will focus on the direct-to-consumer (D2C) business.
“This transition reflects the natural evolution of BioHarvest’s strategy and the board’s conviction that consolidating R&D, Manufacturing, and Operations under unified leadership in the CDMO will strengthen our long-term competitive position,” Rakib said.
The shake-up is designed to advance what BioHarvest calls its “two-lens strategy,” targeting growth across both its CDMO platform and its consumer health brand VINIA, a resveratrol supplement that the company says has reached more than 85,000 consumers and established itself as a category leader in the US.
Sobel, who guided BioHarvest from a pre-revenue operation to approximately $35 million in revenue in fiscal year 2025 and oversaw its listing on the Nasdaq, said he remained optimistic about the company’s consumer business. “I am excited to continue contributing at the board level and to remain closely engaged with the D2C business, where I see significant opportunities ahead,” he said.
Rakib brings more than 35 years of executive leadership experience, including as co-founder and former CEO of Terayon Communication Systems, which he scaled to $380 million in annual revenue and a $7 billion market capitalization as a Nasdaq-listed company within six years.