Brie Reiter Smith, vice chair of the board of directors at Watsonville, California-based Driscoll’s, has been named CEO of the berry company, succeeding Soren Bjorn. She assumes her new duties effective immediately.
Bjorn will continue to support Driscoll’s during the transition and assist with key strategic priorities.
Bjorn joined Driscoll’s in 2006 and was named CEO in 2023, taking over the role in January 2024.
“Soren’s intelligence, strength of character and commitment to Driscoll’s mission to ‘continually delight berry consumers through alignment with our customers and our berry growers’ have been a hallmark of his leadership throughout the various positions he has held,” said Driscoll’s Executive Chair Miles Reiter. “We have had a lot of fun and been through plenty of challenges together.”
Smith has held a variety of positions in the company her grandfather, Joe Reiter, co-founded. She grew blueberries in Chile, oversaw quality and product leadership in the Americas and has served as a director and vice chair of the Driscoll’s board. She is the daughter of Miles Reiter and a fourth-generation leader in the family that owns the company.
The board selected Smith as its next vice chair in March 2025, and she stepped into that role full time in January 2026.
“While I may not have followed the traditional path to this role, no one believes in our company’s mission more than me,” Smith said. “The team Soren has assembled is the best we’ve had, which is a real testament to his leadership and vision. The berries we put on tables around the world are the same berries I feed my three young daughters every day. I am honored to continue the tradition of positively impacting lives by operating with trustworthiness, passion and humility.”
Driscoll’s markets strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. The company operates business units in the Americas; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; Australia; and Asia, each led by a business unit general manager who reports to the CEO.