On Oct. 1, Oppy announced the return of produce industry veteran David Nelley as vice president of South American operations, bringing more than 30 years of global fresh produce experience back to the company.
“It’s an exciting time to fit right back into Oppy, a company that has been so formative in my career,” Nelley says. “I’m delighted to return to the culture at Oppy, and work with trusted colleagues who are friends. South America plays a critical role in global produce supply, and I look forward to working with our growers and retailers to deliver fruitful programs.”
Nelley’s career spans New Zealand, North America, Asia, Australia, South America and beyond, where he has driven sales, marketing and export strategies across multiple sectors of the fresh fruit industry. Most recently, he served as chief commercial officer at The Fresh Connection and vice president of retail sales at Apeel Sciences.
Before those roles, Nelley spent more than 18 years at Oppy in leadership positions including vice president of categories and global exports and executive category director for apples, pears and northwest cherries. During that tenure, he strengthened supplier and retail partnerships, developed global programs and led strategies that delivered strong growth and results for both Oppy and its grower-partners.
Earlier in his career he held key marketing and sales roles with Enzafruit, now known as T&G Global, where he helped open new markets and was instrumental in building brands such as Envy and Jazz apples.
In this new role, Nelley will work closely with Oppy’s executive category directors, grower relations and sales teams to expand its supply of fresh fruit for customers across North America. He will also oversee the company’s South American offices and grower relations teams throughout the continent.
President and CEO David Smith adds: “We’re happy to welcome David back to Oppy. His deep knowledge of our business, combined with his broad international experience, uniquely positions him to strengthen our South American programs and create new growth opportunities.”
