Apeel Sciences has named Denise Junqueiro as vice president of commercial, tropicals.
Junqueiro will use her experience working with growers, packers, shippers, retailers, food service operators and policy-makers for developing and executing go-to-market strategies for Apeel’s tropicals business in the Americas and other global markets, according to a news release.
“Joining Apeel offers me a new way to approach the produce business and apply my skillset and expertise, starting with building relationships and educating partners about Apeel’s innovative ripe and ready to eat solutions,” Junqueiro said in the release. “As retailers seek to meet consumer demand for high-quality produce, including avocados at the preferred stage of ripeness, they can benefit from our programming in partnership with growers and suppliers to ensure higher-quality, longer-lasting ripe options available in stores to more customers.
“Throughout my career, I have always sought to create win-win situations and work together to create real value along the supply chain,” she continued. “This perfectly aligns with Apeel’s mission and growth plans.”
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Junqueiro has over 15 years’ experience in the produce industry, including marketing roles at commodity board organizations California Fig Advisory Board, California Tree Fruit Agreement and California Olive Committee. After working with commodity boards, Junqueiro joined the marketing and communications team at Mission Produce Inc., where she pioneered innovative merchandising programs based on consumer needs and preferences for avocados, creating value and growth for retailers, according to the release.
The California-based Apeel’s plant-based protection is designed to allow for longer-lasting produce by using materials already found in all fruits and vegetables. The company says this protective extra “peel” slows the water loss and oxidation that causes produce to spoil. Apeel also is integrating new data and quality tools that will allow the food system to do more with the extra time created by the plant-based protection, the release said.
Earlier this year Apeel rolled out its Reliably Ripe Program designed to give suppliers and retailers the means to maximize ripeness and quality in their avocado offering. The company says its proprietary process for applying their category expertise, measurement tools and plant-based protection in combination will ensure a premium retail experience and enhanced customer satisfaction.
Junqueiro will continue to evolve the value proposition for the avocado category by helping grocers nationwide access better data and insights to enhance ready-to-eat availability, according to the release. She also will deepen relationships with suppliers and make it easy for them to use Apeel’s technology to unlock growth and innovation opportunities for their business, the release said.
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