ProducePay has appointed Nathan Gilliland as chief financial officer, Yuin Choe as senior vice president of treasury and Diana Simeonova as senior vice president, global corporate controller.
The Los Angeles-based agtech company says the additions bring decades of leadership and expertise as it continues to expand technology services on its platform and grow its sourcing programs for growers, marketers and retailers across the entire global fresh produce supply chain.
Gilliland, with more than 30 years of experience in finance, technology and energy, has raised more than $600 million in venture capital and led four pre-revenue companies from launch to rapid growth, according to a news release. ProducePay said he will drive its financial strategy, bringing insight and experience that position the company for further success in scaling its operations.
Choe, a veteran in corporate finance with more than 15 years of experience in debt capital markets, cash management, risk management and corporate insurance, will focus on enhancing ProducePay’s financial operational capacity. Previously holding senior roles at J.D. Power, Belkin International and Hyundai Capital America, he brings a depth of knowledge in financial optimization that is essential as ProducePay grows, the release said.
Simeonova brings nearly two decades of experience in global corporate controllership and financial operations, with a focus on technology, software-as-a-service and manufacturing sectors. Before joining ProducePay, she held various financial leadership positions where she played a key role in overseeing financial operations, building high-performing accounting teams and implementing industry-leading financial practices and systems to scale businesses and drive growth, including facilitating successful exits, according to the release. ProducePay said her leadership and financial expertise will be critical in strengthening its financial infrastructure.
“Nathan’s expertise in capital markets, finance and technology makes him the ideal leader to continue driving our mission of transforming the fresh produce industry with technology services that reduce food and economic waste,” said ProducePay CEO Patrick McCullough. “Yuin and Diana will be instrumental in helping us scale our growing portfolio and ensure best-in-class financial operations as we expand geographically along with our suite of products.”
ProducePay highlights breakthrough year
ProducePay said the appointments come at a pivotal year as its continues to digitize the fresh produce sector. To date, the company has facilitated more than $10 billion worth of fresh produce transactions across 60 fresh produce commodities globally, the release said.
Incorporating financing, program management, payments and quality visibility, ProducePay said its Predictable Commerce Platform helps customers across the fresh produce supply chain grow while capturing value in the form of reduced economic inefficiencies and food waste. When bundling these services in the form of its Predictable Commerce Programs, the company says it has also been able to secure supply of high-quality fresh produce for the world’s largest marketers and retailers.
These programs are having real results for growers, marketers and the world’s most respected retailers, according to the company. In 2024, ProducePay’s Predictable Commerce Program procured 3 million cases of Mexican table grapes for over a dozen top U.S. retailers — a sevenfold increase in volume compared to 2023 — with a 90% reduction in retail rejections, bringing them to nearly 1%, the release said.
ProducePay said this achievement was accompanied by predictable pricing, enhanced quality and robust traceability enabled by the company’s Visibility solution and a network of more than 100 agronomists on the ground.
This year, the company plans to expand its programs to additional commodities and regions. Recently, ProducePay launched pilot programs for avocados and berries, with full-scale rollouts expected later this year.
“We have proven the impact of bundling our suite of technology products within our Predictable Commerce Programs, and the positive outcomes it brings to the industry,” McCullough said. “It’s time for us to evolve, go even further and prove that we can scale these benefits to our customers, capturing value while reducing the waste and inefficiencies inherent in the traditionally analog fresh produce sector.”
