Los Angeles, California-based ProducePay has appointed Patrick McCullough as the company’s new CEO, succeeding Pablo Borquez Schwarzbeck, who served as CEO since founding the company in 2014.
Schwarzbeck will assume the role of executive director of the board. In his new role, he will continue to help guide the company’s vision and spend more time listening to customers and advising ProducePay on its services and offerings.
Prior to being appointed CEO, McCullough served as a board member and advisor to ProducePay for two years. A global business leader, McCullough brings more than 25 years of corporate experience and expertise in international business development, structuring and joint ventures from leadership positions held at startups and Fortune 500 companies such as Ford Motor Company, Berkshire Hathaway and Just Energy.
“Patrick’s prior experience as CEO, his expertise in customer acquisition and his knowledge of our business, products and mission make the perfect combination of skills to take ProducePay to new heights,” said Borquez Schwarzbeck, executive director of the board.
“With Patrick helming the leadership team, ProducePay will accelerate its expansion in current and new markets and advance its mission to further transform the global produce industry.”
As a board member and advisor, McCullough has played a vital role in ProducePay’s capital raising and more than quadrupling the platform’s gross merchandise value to about $4 billion over the past two years. As CEO, he will continue to scale the business, while partnering with Schwarzbeck and the board to deliver customer and shareholder value.
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work closely with the talented team at ProducePay and witness firsthand how this online marketplace profoundly benefits produce sellers and buyers,” McCullough said. “I’m proud to take on this role and to extend the company’s growth pathway as we enter new markets and continue providing the produce industry with high impact services that improve their businesses.”
Additionally, co-founder Ben Dusastre will step down as ProducePay’s president to continue his passion for supporting startup companies. He will maintain a close relationship with ProducePay as a member of the board and part of the company’s credit committee.
“Ben has been an amazing partner from ProducePay’s inception and has been a driving force behind the company’s growth. It has been an incredible journey for us to get to where we are now, and he will continue to be instrumental to the company’s future success,” Schwarzbeck said.
To learn more about ProducePay, visit producepay.com.
