HAB’s First Female Chair Sets Sights on 5-Year Growth Strategy

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:18:03 GMT

While just last year the Hass Avocado Board achieved a history-making milestone by crossing the 3 billion-pound market threshold, Gwen Jackimek, HAB’s first female chairperson, isn’t looking back as she steps into this leadership role ready to drive future growth.

“We’ve reached the 3 billion-pound benchmark, which is absolutely fantastic, and now we’ve moved into a new vision and strategy for the next five years,” Jackimek tells The Packer. “Our vision is to make hass avocados America’s preferred healthy food for every meal — driving growth in per capita consumption and providing value to consumers and stakeholders.”

The Mission Viejo, Calif.-based research and promotional board conducts intensive nutrition research, market data analysis and large-scale marketing campaigns, such as “Love One Today,” that have helped drive a significant increase in per capita consumption over the last two decades and will continue to fuel demand.

Jackimek, who boasts an extensive produce background that includes sales roles at Dole, Mission Produce and Rocket Apples, is currently senior director of sales for Fresh Del Monte. She describes the new vision for HAB as “all-encompassing” of the entire avocado supply chain from the field to the end consumer.

“We’re really trying to capture the breadth of every person that goes into making this industry successful and moving forward,” she says.

The Avocado Conference

The avocado industry will have a unique opportunity to collaborate later this year when HAB and Farm Journal, The Packer’s parent company, launch The Avocado Conference . Set to take place in San Diego on Nov. 16-18, the conference seeks to gather stakeholders from across the entire avocado supply chain.

While Jackimek says the agenda and speakers are still in the works, HAB will be leaning into data, including basket size and what adding avocados does to the consumer’s overall ring.

“We’re bringing in Circana and Datassential to do presentations specifically about avocado category data, the produce industry and consumer trends as a whole,” Jackimek says. “We’re really excited to bring the whole industry together to collaborate, look at these numbers and then tie it all back to the Hass Avocado Board’s strategic vision.

“There’s so much data out there,” she adds. “How do we use it for reaching our goals?”

Jackimek is a graduate from class 2 of HAB’s Board Leadership Development program (BOLD), a program she credits with putting her on the path to board chairperson.

(Photo courtesy of the Hass Avocado Board)

A Bold Program

Jackimek is a graduate from Class 2 of HAB’s Board Leadership Development — or BOLD — program, which she credits with putting her on the path to board chairperson.

“I really attribute [my being on the board] to the BOLD program,” she says. “It’s such a great program that really lays out the path to board leadership and shows you how to get involved. It also takes you out of your workday lane and really elevates your thinking to the whole industry, because you get to collaborate and meet with so many different people from different parts of the industry.”

BOLD is a full-year course that includes virtual and in-person meetings as well as a trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with USDA.

“The future of our industry really relies on bringing diverse experiences and strengths so that we can continue to reach for the vision of the Hass Avocado Board,” Jackimek says.

Women Leading in Produce

Increasingly, women are stepping into leadership roles in produce. Earlier this year, the California Avocado Commission appointed Rachael Kimball Laenen, a fourth-generation avocado farmer, as its first female board chair.

What does this trend mean to Jackimek?

“It’s really inspiring to see how women throughout the industry are taking on bigger and bigger roles across the whole industry and the supply chain,” she says. “The produce industry is dynamic, demanding and so full of opportunity. It’s exciting to see women continue to have leading roles in shaping the industry as a whole.”

As for Jackimek’s goals as HAB chairperson in the year ahead, she says there is a lot of work to be done.

“We have a really big year ahead of us again,” she says. “This is the first year we’re working with a new strategic vision and goals, and the first-ever Avocado Conference. We have huge projects, and I want to make sure HAB is moving forward with those goals.”

To the next generation of produce leaders, Jackimek says the sky’s the limit if you’re ready to learn and engage.

“My recommendation for anyone who wants to move into a leadership role in produce is to learn the business — learn it from the soil all the way to the shelf — because the more you know, the better decisions you can make,” she says. “Build relationships early and often. The produce industry really succeeds on trust, consistency and reliability. The greater your network, the greater your knowledge.

“My other advice is to own the room and your expertise,” Jackimek continues. “You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, so believe in yourself, have a voice and raise your hand.”

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How The Avocado Conference 2026 Will Align Industry, Accelerate Sustainable Growth

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 13:56:02 GMT

The avocado industry achieved a major milestone in 2025, surpassing 3 billion pounds in the U.S. for the first time. And with more fruit coming, it’s a critical time for the industry to align its strategic vision to ensure continued growth, says Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of the Hass Avocado Board.

At this pivotal moment for avocados, the Hass Avocado Board and Farm Journal, The Packer’s parent company, are launching The Avocado Conference , a first-of-its-kind international event that seeks to gather every segment of the U.S. avocado supply chain. The inaugural event is set for Nov.18-20, 2026, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.

“We just had our biggest year in terms of volume coming here to the United States and being produced here. And as avocados continue to grow and continue to be an incredible category for our industry — driving tremendous value for the produce department — it’s so important to have alignment among producers, handlers, exporters, importers, retailers and the entire industry,” Escobedo says. “That’s where we see The Avocado Conference playing a critical role in ensuring that our industry is going to continue to grow and that it is going to continue to add value to the entire sector.”

The Avocado Conference aims to deliver a forward-looking agenda examining global avocado production and trade, retail and foodservice market insights from Circana and Dataessential, consumer and shopper trends, evolving avocado marketing programs and broader economic and investment dynamics impacting the marketplace.

“The U.S. market is the No. 1 market in the world for avocados. More avocados are sold and consumed here in the United States than any other market in the world. And it’s the market that every country that produces avocados wants to be in,” Escobedo says. “The purpose of The Avocado Conference is to help build our industry, to collaborate, share insights and accelerate sustainable growth here in the United States, and build that demand with all of the countries that supply avocados to the U.S.”

The international conference is poised to gather avocado industry professionals from around the world and across the supply chain.

“The reason this conference is so important is because it’s a first-of-its-kind international gathering for the entire U.S. avocado value chain,” he says. “Whether they’re coming from established areas like Mexico and Peru or new entrants like Colombia and other new countries as they are allowed in the United States, we want everyone to be part of it.”

The conference will also provide a collective of the latest consumer research from the Hass Avocado Board and other industry organizations with the goal of driving demand and identifying new opportunities for growth.

“When you attend the conference, you’re going to be able to understand not just what is happening on the market side with consumers, with new consumers and new demographics, but also how the industry is planning to support the whole value chain to meet those consumers’ needs,” Escobedo says.

The Avocado Conference will also offer important insights for retail and foodservice professionals, he says.

“As a retailer attending this conference, you’re going to learn from the Hass Avocado Board, Circana and Dataessential how consumers are shopping, what’s driving consumer purchase, what the impact of consumers buying an avocado has on the overall basket, but we also want to create an opportunity for retailers to talk to our industry and to our growers and exporters, so that there’s alignment.

“One of the challenges we have faced as an industry is the lack of alignment between the production that’s available to support large-scale promotions across the United States and the retailers’ understanding of that,” he continues. “Retailers attending the conference will get to hear firsthand from the producers themselves on what is happening on the ground and what they can expect in terms of volume for the season to come. That’s going to help retailers plan.”

The program will be equally relevant to grower-packer-shippers and exporters, he says.

“The overall goal of The Avocado Conference is to align on demand signals and operational practices to support profitable and sustainable growth,” Escobedo says. “And we want everybody to come, not just California producers; we want producers from Mexico, from Peru, from Chile, from Colombia, from Dominican Republic as well as packers and exporters for foodservice and retail leaders — everyone is welcome.”