SAN DIEGO, Feb 18, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Fresh Healthy Vending International, Inc. ( OTCBB:VEND ), North America's leading healthy vending franchisor, announced today its appointment of Mark Cole as the company’s chief financial officer, effective February 18, 2014.<br /><br />Bringing close to 25 years of experience in financial leadership, Cole has served in an interim capacity as Fresh Healthy Vending’s VP of finance for the past four months. Signing on as the new CFO, Cole will manage financial oversight and planning, investor relations and will assist with other general corporate, administrative, human resources and IT responsibilities.<br /><br />“Coming from a storied company like Crocs , which grew from $100 million to over $854 million in just two years, we knew Mark would be an exceptional addition to the Fresh Healthy Vending team,” said Alex Kennedy, CEO of Fresh Healthy Vending. “We are confident that Mark’s many years of leadership experience in the financial industry will be a valuable asset to the company as we aim to achieve our goals for rapid domestic and international market penetration.”<br /><br />After receiving a bachelor’s degree in business administration from San Diego State University, Cole spent eight years as an audit professional with “Big 4” public accounting firms and later served as managing director for the CPA firm Cole and Company. His experience in the private sector includes serving as vice president and corporate controller for Crocs, Inc., a hyper-growth designer and manufacturer of footwear, and Ashworth, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of apparel for the golf market. In addition, he has served as a director for Westbridge Research Group since 2005.<br /><br />Entering into this new role, Cole also brings valued experience in mergers and acquisitions, capital financing, turnarounds and strategic planning.<br /><br />“I came onto the Fresh Healthy team in an interim capacity as the VP of finance because I wanted to understand the business and its prospects for monetizing the healthy vending opportunity,” said Cole. “After four months with the company, I’ve concluded that the Fresh Healthy Vending business is well positioned to expand its market share and further establish its brand as the leader in this rapidly growing market segment of the vending industry. I feel genuinely honored to be joining such a forward-thinking and hands-on corporate team.”<br /><br />For more information on Fresh Healthy Vending, the franchise program, or to receive a free healthy vending machine in your school or business, visit http://www.freshvending.com or call toll free 888-902-7558.<br /><br />About Fresh Healthy Vending<br /><br />Fresh Healthy Vending, based in San Diego, California, is North America’s leading healthy vending franchisor. Fresh Healthy Vending pioneered the concept of vending machines stocked with tried-and-tested fresh, healthy snack options and capitalizes on a growing market of health conscious consumers. The company has appointed more than 205 franchisees throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas and is looking to partner with like-minded entrepreneurs who share its vision.<br /><br />The company offers three different machines: The Healthy Vending Combo snack and drink machine, Healthy Vending Café that brews gourmet hot beverages in less than 40 seconds and the brand new Healthy Vending Touch - the only 46” 3D interactive touch screen vending machine.<br /><br />The company has more than 2,300 machines installed in schools, universities, hospitals, community centers, military bases, airports, fitness facilities, YMCAs, libraries and many other types of locations.