As the company nears its 110th anniversary and seeks to widen the margin of its position as “the world’s premier dried fruit brand,” Sunsweet Growers Inc. has named Brad Schuler as CEO.
“Brad becomes the fourth consecutive CEO to be hired from within based on demonstrated performance,” said Dane Lance, outgoing president and CEO who is stepping down after a nearly 35-year career.
“Brad is clearly the right choice for CEO having observed and assimilated the collective learning of the previous three CEO’s. There’s no doubt [he] has a vision for the next decade and the personal drive to lead Sunsweet to its highest levels of performance.”
According to Sunsweet, Schuler’s promotion reflects his 25-year tenure at the company, where he has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities and mastered the intricacies of its global business.
For the near future, Schuler said his focus will be continued reinvestment in production assets, migration toward new enterprise software with AI capabilities and organizational training to use the new tools on a vision of building Sunsweet’s global brand.
“Brad has demonstrated the ability to grow Sunsweet’s business, and he’s been pivotal in helping foster a unique business strategy and culture … that generates high performance toward relentlessly building … brand for the future,” said Brendon Flynn, chairman of Sunsweet’s board.
Founded in 1917, Sunsweet is owned by a cooperative network of more than 180 growers.
Read more produce news from The Shelby Report.
