AB Mauri North America, Chesterfield, Mo., a leader in yeast and bakery ingredient products and solutions, recently hired Michael Tamayo as senior business development manager–tortillas. In this new role, Tamayo will lead the company’s tortilla sales and innovation strategy and foster relationships with new tortilla customers.

“Tamayo is a natural fit for this position, having worked on all sides of the tortilla business,” says Gregory Strauss, vice president of sales and business development. “He’s developed new formulas, worked closely with some of the largest branded restaurants in the U.S. and knows what it takes to run a bakery successfully. As an entrepreneur, he is able to empathize with our customers, understanding their unique challenges and working determinedly to advance their businesses.”

Tamayo’s passion for tortillas and the baking industry began when he worked for his family’s business, La Tortilla Factory in Santa Rosa, Calif., while in high school. In 2009, Tamayo and his wife opened Sonoma Latina Grill in Novato, Calif. Most recently, he was a bakery consultant and the director of R&D for Mi Rancho Tortilla Factory in San Leandro, Calif. Tamayo joined AB Mauri in June.