Patrick McCullough is the new CEO of Los Angeles-based ProducePay, succeeding co-founder Pablo Borquez Schwarzbeck, who was CEO since he founded the company with Ben Dusastre in 2014. A fourth-generation farmer, Borquez Schwarzbeck is now executive director of the board, and Dusastre is a board member, according to a news release.ProducePay has a digital platform that makes the market more directly accessible to grow...

Jan DeLyser, the longtime vice president of marketing for the California Avocado Commission, has announced her plan to retire from the commission after 24 years of service to the organization. The tentative timing for her retirement is mid-February 2023 and CAC is actively looking for a new vice president of marketing, according to a release.“Jan DeLyser is an icon in the produce industry and has been instrumental in...

New York City-based vertical grower Bowery Farming has hired Robert Ybarra as director of business development. Among other roles and companies, Ybarra has more than 30 years of experience at H-E-B, the grocery retailer headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.He will report to Elayne Dudley, vice president of new business development, according to a news release.Ybarra has food and produce industry experience in ret...

When it comes to increasing consumption of fresh produce, influencers have become powerful agents of change. Together with the original nutrition influencer — the retail dietitian — social media influencers are helping to change the way people eat for the better.The Lemon Bowl founder Liz Della Croce will be speaking at the 2023 Global Organic Produce Expo, Jan. 30-Feb. 1. The session, how social media is drivin...

Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market hired Alisa Gmelich as senior vice president and chief marketing officer, effective Dec. 5.Gmelich will report directly to Sprouts President and Chief Operating Officer Nick Konat and will oversee marketing, advertising and customer engagement, according to a news release.“Her experience in building brands and growing customer engagement will be instrumental in shaping Sprouts’ ma...