Driscoll’s hires Zespri CEO as president of the Americas
Driscoll's has named Zespri CEO Daniel Mathieson as its president of the Americas.
A veteran agribusiness executive, Mathieson will steer the largest business unit for Driscoll’s, overseeing all aspects of the enterprise, from strategic planning to financial success, according to a news release. Discroll's said his strategic vision and capability-building initiatives are expected to drive the growth momentum that established Driscoll's among America’s Top Ten Retail Grocery Brands.
“We are thrilled to welcome Daniel to Driscoll’s as President of the Americas. His exceptional leadership at Zespri, a company we admire, is a testament to his strategic acumen and dedication to driving success in the produce industry," Driscoll's CEO Soren Bjorn said in the release. “Dan is a values-based leader, which made him an ideal candidate for this important role. He balances forward-looking, operational agriculture excellence with a clear track record of creating sustainable shareholder value.”
Mathieson is currently CEO at Zespri, with multibillion-dollar annual sales that have grown significantly during his almost seven years in the position, the release said. Among his accomplishments during his 21-years at Zespri was implementing a demand-led strategy with a focus on consumer insights, distributor and retailer partnerships and marketing excellence that has seen Zespri continue to grow both volume and value, according to the release. Prior to taking the helm as CEO, Mathieson held positions in operations, sales, marketing and business development across Zespri based out of Asia and Europe.
"Driscoll’s is an iconic produce brand and I am honored to lead a business that has such a strong foundation and to be joining such a great team,” Mathieson said in a news release. “I’m fully aligned with Driscoll’s mission, and I look forward to creating an environment of inquiry, innovation and execution and help deliver a world-class product to customers and consumers and to generating real value for our growers.”
In the upcoming months, Mathieson will transition from his CEO role at Zespri and will relocate with his family to the U.S. from Singapore, according to Discroll's.
