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ESMERALDA SOUZA, 40 Fresh-Cut Business Manager Duda Farm Fresh Foods
HQ: Oviedo, FL
Hometown: Gonzales, CA
Hobbies: Cooking, baking Personal/Community: Married, two children, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, PTO member at my children’s school
Motto in life: Pick your battles — especially when dealing with my kiddos. Make a lesson from not only your mistakes but also the mistakes you see all around you.
Work history: Souza has been with Duda Farm Fresh Foods for 15 years in the sales department. During her time, she has played a pivotal role in Duda’s processing plant growth in Salinas, CA, leading a team that was small and is now large. She is a first-generation Mexican Amer- ican woman in the U.S. produce industry; her parents were farm workers. She put herself through college, attending San Diego State University and joined Duda as a sales coordinator. Since then, she has held several positions, working her way up from sales coordinator, to industrial sales, account manager, fresh-cut sales and most recently to fresh-cut business manager. As the company saw growth in its fresh-cut division, there was a need to have a posi- tion created to manage the entity, sales, volume, contracts and pricing. Souza’s experience and expertise in being a liaison between the sales office and the fresh-cut plant for many years meant a perfect fit for the position. She serves as a committee member for the Grower-Shipper Associa- tion in Salinas, CA.
Q: How did you begin working in the produce industry?
After graduating from college, I decided to take a year off to study for the LSAT and was looking for a job. After a few months of being at Duda, I fell in love with the day-to-day, the people, the environment,
and I decided to pursue my career in Ag.
Q: What aspect of the business chal- lenged you the most early on?
Coming from a mindset where I wanted to be a lawyer, my education and political science background – the law is very black and white, cut and dry. In this industry, there is a lot of gray area, especially on the sales desk side — that was a challenge for me at first.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career?
For me, being where I am at today, from where I started is an accomplishment. I come from a background of migrant farm- workers who never would have dreamed of being given the opportunity to work inside the office of a produce company, let alone go to college. I have worked diligently over the past 15 years to be on a successful team that has evolved and expanded. Our team has seen so much growth and to be part of it has been very rewarding.
Q: What industry improvements would you like to see?
Better communication and accuracy with government officials and the mainstream media when it comes to food safety. Many times, the communication is delayed — the average consumer is not aware certain produce is safe to eat after the media deters them from eating it.
Q: What are some of the more chal- lenging aspects of a career in the produce industry today?
That this is not a 9-to-5 job, and we work most holidays. As a working mom with young children, I have to work even harder at balancing my two “full-time” jobs — my position at Duda, and my main priority — being a wife and mother.
Q: What has shocked or surprised you about the produce industry?
Early in my career, I definitely felt that this was a male-dominated industry, and that was defeating. Over time, this perception has changed for me. I have seen strong, powerful, educated, remarkable women do great things within our industry. I hope to see more of this.
RYAN SUGRUE, 39
Business Development Manager C.H. Robinson/Robinson Fresh HQ: Eden Prairie, MN
Hometown: Waukesha, WI
Hobbies: Spending time with family, golfing, coaching basketball, baseball and softball, cheering on the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks and the Wisconsin Badgers
Personal: Married, four children
Motto in life: You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. — Walt Disney
Work history: Sugrue has been with C.H. Robinson/Robinson Fresh for 16 years in a wide variety of roles, including produce sourcing, national account management and regional leadership positions in Minne- sota, Florida, Latin America and Illinois. He is known for driving the company’s business across both retail and foodservice. His experi- ence in account management, supply devel- opment, and leadership across the Midwest, Southeast and internationally gives him a broad experience and capability to grow business. He started in Eden Prairie in 2003 on the buying desk and quickly worked his way into national account management, where he helped develop Robinson Fresh’s MPS (Managed Procurement Services) business line and was integral in the foun- dation of this business model. In 2010, he took on the role of sourcing and customer group manager of Robinson Fresh’s South- east region, based in Miami, overseeing sales, supply and account management for the Southeast region and Latin America. In 2016, he transitioned to Chicago where he was promoted to general manager for the Great Lakes region, overseeing sales, supply, and account management. He graduated in 2017 from the United Fresh Produce Execu- tive Program at Cornell University. In 2018, he moved to a role overseeing business development in the Foodservice Broadline
Vertical for Robinson Fresh, still working out of Chicago.
Q: What aspect of the business chal- lenged you the most early on?
I needed to slow down. I would jump into problem-solving mode before really listening and uncovering all aspects of the problems or customers’ needs.
Q: What industry improvements would you like to see?
I love the trend of more sustainable, local, and regional produce being grown across the United States, and we need more of it.
Q: What advice would you give someone new to the produce industry? Stick with it. The change and the ups and downs can sometime be a bit much, but the people are what make this industry really great. Plus, we get to put fresh fruits and vegetables on your dinner table, which is not that bad of a gig.
Q: What was the “aha” moment when you knew the produce industry was the best choice for you?
Very early on, I realized this was not some other job, but a career that would allow me to grow personally and professionally. One day could be terrible, but the next could be the greatest day of your career.
Q: What are some of the more chal- lenging aspects of a career in the produce industry today?
The competition is as strong as ever. Differ- entiating yourself and your products and adding value to your customers is our goal.
Q: What do you see as the most critical “hot button” issue facing the industry in the next decade?
There are three issues facing the produce industry in the next decade: technology, technology and technology. Home delivery, robotics, driverless trucks, local and regional grown hydroponic greenhouses —
all of these are changing the landscape of our industry and will continue to do so.
Q: Do you see the produce industry as a united front, or is it more about the particular items or silos?
Very much a united front. The produce industry is a tight-knit community. Our customers are also our competitors, suppliers, and friends.
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