#16 Mark Freed & Mitch Freed

Genumark (asi/204588)

2023 Rank: #19

Mark Freed – Executive Chairman

Industry Experience: 30 Years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 7

Mitch Freed – CEO

Industry Experience: 8 Years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 2

The father-son team leading Genumark has spearheaded an eventful year for the Toronto-based Counselor Top 40 distributor and Counselor Best Place to Work. Mark and Mitch hired Chicago-based Johanna Gottlieb last fall to expand the company’s footprint in the States, and made a series of additional hires – including NYC-based Alexis Bernard as senior director of business development and Kansas City, KS-based Mandi Rudd as director of new markets – that signify their intentions to grow. Additional new hires include Canadians Meg Chahl as account director and Mitch Cherry as senior director of sales.

The Freeds have been aggressive on the acquisition front too. In May, their company acquired Pathwave, a distributor with locations in Edmonton, AB, Vancouver, BC, and Los Angeles, and welcomed Pathwave founder Kyle Nichols as account director.

In addition to widening the company’s North American presence, Mark (who served as top executive for 27 years) and Mitch (who became CEO in 2022) have also led a concerted effort to embrace sustainability, becoming a certified B Corp in 2023 and welcoming Reba Joy, formerly with distributor Rightsleeve (a distributor Genumark acquired in 2019), as director of environmental and social impact. “Our simple philosophy has been to find the best people who share our values and goals, and to watch them thrive,” says Mark. “We’re genuinely pumped about everything happening now and what’s in store for the future.”