Watsonville, California-based Driscoll’s has appointed Gaëlle Le Meur as its new chief people officer.
Reporting to CEO Soren Bjorn, Le Meur will be in charge of the company’s global people function, encompassing talent strategy, organizational effectiveness, leadership development and inclusion efforts.
With more than 20 years of experience, Le Meur brings expertise in organizational design, talent management and driving cultural renewal.
She joins Driscoll’s from The Estée Lauder Cos., where she most recently served as VP of human resources business partner, global supply chain. In that role, she led a team of 70 and spearheaded the people strategy for a complex global value chain.
“As the global leader in fresh berries, with talent that spans continents, we must continue our momentum by scaling our people capabilities with intentionality that aligns to our mission, vision and values,” Bjorn said.
He further emphasized the strategic nature of Le Meur’s role, noting that her appointment “marks a significant milestone in our journey to build a world-class people function – one that reflects the scale and diversity inherent in our global leadership and operations dedicated to bringing the finest fresh berries to consumers, and helps cultivate the next generation of talent and leadership within the fresh berries ecosystem.”
Driscoll’s portfolio includes strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. With more than 100 years of farming heritage and some 900 independent growers around the world, Driscoll’s develops patented berry varieties using traditional breeding methods that focus on growing great-tasting fresh berries.
A team of agronomists, breeders, sensory analysts, plant pathologists and entomologists help grow baby seedlings on family farms in more than 20 countries. The berries are available for consumers in more than 40 countries across North America, Australia, Europe and China.
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