SANTA PAULA, CA - President and Chief Executive Officer of Calavo Growers Brian Kocher is taking on a new role. The leader will now add the title of interim Chief Financial Officer to his responsibilities as Mariela Matute steps down from the role on May 19.

“Mariela has made a significant contribution to our organization in the time she has been with Calavo,” Kocher commented in the release. “She described her new opportunity as one that was simply too good to pass up, and we wish her the best in her new role.”

Kocher’s experience includes former CFO and Chief Accounting Officer roles, with an extensive background in the financial industry. He will assume the role of interim CFO until a successor is named, according to a press release. The search for a new permanent CFO will begin immediately.

“While this news is unfortunate, it won’t deter or delay our efforts to improve our operating performance,” Kocher noted. “We have a structure in place to carry out our initiatives, like Project Uno. We have processes that Mariela helped establish that will ensure the smooth continuity of our business. We have a talented team that is more than capable of stepping in and stepping up as we search for a new CFO.”

Kocher continued, stating, “I remain confident about our future. Calavo has delivered sequential improvement in our business, and we continue to make progress. I am as excited today as I was yesterday about our opportunities and our ability to deliver on our vision and goals to our shareholders.”

As the search for a permanent CFO gets underway, we at ANUK will keep our eyes on the wire.

Calavo Growers