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Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Agriculture Capital

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Dinuba, CA
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    AC Operations

    Job Title:  Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

    Department:  Agriculture Capital (AC) Direct       

    Reports to:  AC Operations (ACO) Board of Directors

    POSITION SUMMARY

    AC Direct is the global fresh fruit packing, marketing and sales division of ACO.  The CEO will lead multiple Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) including four world class packing and cold storage facilities in California and Oregon as well as the sales and marketing entities for consumer brands Suntreat®, SumoCitrus®, and Columbine® Table Grapes. 

    The AC Direct CEO is responsible for leading the development and execution of AC’s business strategy with a focus on innovation, strategic growth, and financial returns.  The CEO will lead the advancement of existing brands in the marketplace, as well as unlock strategic opportunities to enable additional value from AC’s portfolio crops such as blueberries. To accelerate the rapid growth in the potential of these brands and SPVs, the CEO will lead facility expansions and consolidations to optimize efficiencies and profitability.

    The AC Direct CEO leads a team that includes a CFO, leaders for citrus, blueberry, and table grapes storage and packing, and a global marketing and sales team. The AC Direct Leadership Team is responsible for implementing key strategies to further the mission of AC while accounting for the individual SPVs AC Direct is contracted to manage.

    This position is also a member of ACO’s leadership team along with the CEO’s of AC Farming and AC Nursery and Genetics. The CEO of AC Direct reports to the ACO Board of Directors.

    JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

    To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily, including all important aspects of the job – whether performed daily, weekly, monthly, or annually; and any duty that occurs at irregular intervals.  Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential Functions. 

    LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT

    • Lead the development of the processing, packing, marketing and sales business strategies of the SPVs.

    • Approve and support the short- and long-term sales plans in order to achieve maximum sales volumes while exceeding customer expectations.

    • Support the VP of Sales’ day to day sales and marketing activities ensuring they are on track for achieving KPI’s including brand identity and awareness.

    • Develop short and long-term strategic objectives for efficient, effective and sustainable operations that optimize the profitability of the SPV’s under management.  

    • Develop, implement and enforce policies and procedures that will improve the SPV’s overall operation and effectiveness and lead to positive environmental and community impact and value creation.

    • Assume a key leadership role for midstream process improvement initiatives and industry innovations.

    • Establish and maintain strong relationships with senior leadership teams within AC and lead internal and external communications.

    • Communicate and explain key business decisions, leading with pragmatism, decisiveness and a keen eye for risk.

    • Foster an environment that emphasizes effective internal controls, fiscal discipline and strong management systems.

    • Demonstrate Environmental Social Governance (ESG) leadership and positive environmental and social impact through innovative implementation of AC regenerative management and sustainability initiatives.

    • Ability to evaluate and effectively deliver feedback to AC Direct leaders at all levels.

    • Build mentoring and development practices at all levels of talent to create a leadership pipeline.

    • Lead the on-going consolidation and operational, cultural and systems integration of all SPV’s managed by AC Direct and any additional SPVs as they as they are added to AC Direct operational portfolio.

    • Develop additional business opportunities by studying economic trends and revenue opportunities; proposing acquisition and expansion prospects; analyzing organization operations; identifying opportunities for improvement, cost reduction, and systems enhancement.

    • Represents company at important business functions, community events, industry training and events, and networking opportunities.

    • Update job knowledge by remaining aware of new regulations, participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and participating in professional organizations.

    OPERATIONS

    • Create an environment and culture that focuses on fulfilling the AC and AC Direct mission, vision, and values.

    • Build a culture that utilizes data and analytics to support strategic decisions, planning and budgeting.

    • Assess any principal risks of the SPVs and ensure that these risks are being monitored and managed.

    • Ensure AC Direct is staffed with well-trained, quality, and engaged employees at all times; work closely with the executive management team to develop effective hiring, training, and compensation plans to retain quality talent; and lead and mentor staff, engaging and empowering them to be successful in serving customers.

    FINANCE, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING

    • Lead the SPV’s fiscal activity, including annual budgeting, company and asset reporting and auditing.

    • Provide executive management (AC Direct and AC leadership teams) with recommendations on the financial implications of business activities.

    • Effectively manage the SPVs liquidity, with the ability to source funding as required to successfully meet the strategic expectations of the ACO Board of Directors.

    • Oversee financial performance and risk profiles while ensuring that all regulatory obligations are met.

    • Oversee industry-leading environmental and social impact performance with a focus on positive value creation.

    • Provide timely and accurate analysis of budgets, financial trends and forecasts through systems management with the AC Direct CFO.

    • Monitor SPV performance by measuring and analyzing results, initiating corrective actions, and minimizing the impact of variances.

     

    INNOVATION

    • Provide vision to strategically enhance performance and new business opportunities.

    Capture and disseminate best practices across the organization to create differentiation in the Industry.

     

    PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

    • Bachelor’s or master’s degree with relevant experience.
    • Senior executive with a proven track record of success in profitably building and leading consumer facing businesses, ideally in processing and production, agricultural, or agribusiness industry organizations.
    • Experience leading mid to large-sized companies with responsibility for a P&L ideally with both domestic and international businesses.
    • A business and entrepreneurial mindset, operationally focused and can be hands-on, working comfortably at all levels of the company.
    • Outstanding track record and reputation for leadership acumen, business judgement, quantitative analysis, leadership skills and integrity.
    • Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to communicate both orally and written.
    • Ability to successfully manage internal and shared employees as well as contractual labor and consultants.
    • Strong motivational skills, coach and leader of people focused on developing talented leadership teams capable of strengthening overall company performance.
    • Must have a strong work ethic and be results oriented.
    • Skilled at using a commonsense approach to problem solving and the ability to exercise sound judgement and make decisions based on accurate and timely analyses.
    • A strategic thinker who uses a pragmatic method in setting priorities and holding people accountable.

    EVALUATIONS

    Performance, wage, and disciplinary evaluations are conducted annually.  If it is deemed necessary, the (supervisor) will seek the input of other executive and administrative staff members who interact with the (position) on a routine basis.

    AT-WILL-EMPLOYMENT

    All employment with ACO is At-Will Employment. While we strive to provide full-time employment to all our employees who so desire, we make no guarantees, expressed or implied, to provide any guaranteed number of hours of employment in each week. Changing conditions in the agriculture field make it impossible to predict the demand for our services and as a result all our offers of employment are offers of At-Will employment.