PERU – Camposol, a fresh produce multinational company, has announced the resignation of José Antonio Gómez as CEO, effective immediately.
Ricardo Naranjo, current CFO of the company, has been appointed interim CEO and Samuel Dyer Coriat, current chairman of the board of directors, will assume the executive chairmanship of the board while the company searches for a permanent successor.
Gómez joined Camposol 13 years ago and was made CEO in September 2021, having previously served as managing director of Camposol international and chief commercial officer.
During his time at CEO he navigated the company through some of its toughest times of recent years. Soaring costs, the Russian invasion of Ukraine caused severe market disruption in 2022.
A year later, the impact of El Niño reduced production volumes of avocado, blueberries, citrus and other products, and increased their costs significantly.
In September of last year Camposol announced a corporate restructuring and layoffs in a bid to put the company’s financial situation back on track. The measures appear to have paid off, with the company recently reporting sales of US$152m for the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 29 per cent on the year-earlier period.
The company thanked Gómez for his dedication and leadership during his 13 years with the company, and wished him the best in their future professional endeavours.
It should also be noted that Gómez was named one of Forbes’s “23 of 23”, a list of 23 Peruvian leaders from the private and public sector who are predicted to play a key role in the economy, production activities and state administration in 2023.
Ricardo Naranjo was brought in by Camposol in November of last year to strengthen its financial structure. Naranjo has extensive experience in business management, having led the administrative and financial departments in various multinational companies and business groups in Chile and Colombia.
“We have every confidence in his ability to lead the company through this transition and maintain our ongoing commitment to efficiency and excellence. Likewise, the DC Group Strategic Corporate Centre team (DC Capital) will provide close support and provide full support to the interim CEO to ensure a successful transition,” the company said in a statement on 3 June.
“We remain committed to our objectives and guarantee that our activities and service to our clients will continue to be developed with the same efficiency and quality that have always characterised us,” Camposol said.
Camposol operates in several countries, including Peru, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Cyprus, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Spain, the United States, China, and the Netherlands.
Its product range entails the harvest, processing, and marketing of high-quality agricultural products such as avocados, blueberries, grapes, mangos, and mandarins, among others.
For all the latest fresh produce industry news updates from Africa, the Middle East, and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.