Quick Take
Brie Reiter Smith, vice chair of Driscoll's board of directors, has replaced Soren Bjorn as chief executive officer, the Watsonville-based company announced on Tuesday.
Watsonville-based berry giant Driscoll’s has a new CEO. Brie Reiter Smith, vice chair of the company’s board of directors, has replaced Soren Bjorn as chief executive officer, the company announced on Tuesday.
Smith’s grandfather Joe Reiter co-founded Driscoll’s, and she has held multiple positions at the company, including overseeing quality and product leadership in the Americas and growing blueberries in Chile. Smith served as a director and vice chair of Driscoll’s board.
“While I may not have followed the traditional path to this role, no one believes in our company’s mission more than me,” Smith said in a media release. “The team Soren has assembled is the best we’ve had, which is a real testament to his leadership and vision.”
Bjorn joined Driscoll’s in 2006 and became the CEO in 2023. Executive Chair Miles Reiter praised Bjorn’s intelligence, character and commitment to Driscoll’s mission to “‘continually delight berry consumers through alignment with our customers and our berry growers.” Bjorn will stay on to oversee Smith’s transition into the role.
Driscoll’s is one of the largest berry companies in the world. It produces strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries by working with local growers on six continents. Every region is led by a business unit general, who reports to the CEO.
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