North America Business Poised for Continued Growth
Watsonville, Calif. – Driscoll’s, a global market leader in the produce industry, has named Daniel Mathieson as Driscoll’s, 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. 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.
Mathieson is currently CEO at Zespri, the world’s largest kiwifruit company, with multi-billion-dollar annual sales which have grown significantly during his almost seven years in the position. Among his many 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 which has seen Zespri continue to grow both volume and value. He sharpened the focus on accelerating the innovation pipeline, sustainability outcomes and digital platforms, helped grow the Zespri brand to one of the largest in fresh produce and passionately drove the Zespri culture focused on finding great people and supporting them to deliver outstanding results. Prior to taking the helm as CEO, he held positions in operations, sales, marketing and business development across Zespri based out of Asia and Europe.
“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,” said Soren Bjorn, Driscoll’s CEO. “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.”
“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. “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 United States from Singapore.
About Driscoll’s
Driscoll’s is the global market leader of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. With more than 100 years of farming heritage, Driscoll’s is a pioneer of berry flavor innovation and the trusted consumer brand of Only the Finest Berries™. With more than 900 independent growers around the world, Driscoll’s develops exclusive patented berry varieties using only traditional breeding methods that focus on growing great-tasting berries. A dedicated team of agronomists, breeders, sensory analysts, plant pathologists, and entomologists help grow baby seedlings that are then grown on local family farms. Driscoll’s berries are grown in more than 20 countries and are available for consumers in more than 40 countries across North America, Australia, Europe, and China.
