Hands holding green avocados against the background of full avocado box on the ground among trees

Fresh Del Monte Produce Appoints New VP for International Avocados Business

Nov. 21, 2024

Thomas Padilla will lead the company’s international avocado operations and strategy as the vice president, Avocados (International).

Andy Hanacek

Thomas Padilla, vice president, Avocados (International), Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has appointed Thomas “Tommy” Padilla as vice president, Avocados (International), effective Nov. 18, 2024, according to a release from the vertically integrated producer, marketer and distributor of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.

Padilla brings more than 14 years of produce industry experience, with a specialization in international and export sales. He also brings extensive expertise in the avocado category, the release noted, which will help the company’s avocado program continue to be a key growth driver.

Padilla will oversee the international avocado operations and strategy, and he will report directly to Danny Dumas, senior vice president of Sales, Marketing and Product Management for North America.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.