Santa Paula, California-based Calavo Growers Inc., an avocado-industry provider of value-added fresh food, has announced Mariela Matute, CFO, will be leaving for a CFO role at another company. She will remain with Calavo through May 19 to assist with the transition.
Brian W. Kocher, Calavo’s president and CEO, will assume the role of the company’s interim CFO until a successor is named. The company will immediately commence a search for a new permanent CFO.
“Mariela has made a significant contribution to our organization in the time she has been with Calavo,” Kocher said. “She described her new opportunity as one that was simply too good to pass up, and we wish her the best in her new role.”
Kosher continued, saying that “while this news is unfortunate, it won’t deter or delay our efforts to improve our operating performance. We have a structure in place to carry out our initiatives like Project Uno. We have processes that Mariela helped establish that will ensure the smooth continuity of our business. We have a talented team that is more than capable of stepping in and stepping up as we search for a new CFO.
“I remain confident about our future. Calavo has delivered sequential improvement in our business, and we continue to make progress. I am as excited today as I was yesterday about our opportunities and our ability to deliver on our vision and goals to our shareholders.”
Calavo Growers Inc. is a global leader in quality produce, including avocados, tomatoes, papayas and of fresh-cut fruit, vegetables and prepared foods. Calavo products are sold under the Calavo brand name, proprietary sub-brands, private label and store brands.
Founded in 1924, Calavo serves retail grocery, foodservice, club stores, mass merchandisers, food distributors and wholesalers worldwide.
For more information, visit calavo.com.
