Zespri International picks new CEO

Kiwi fruit brand Zespri has named Jason Te Brake as its new chief executive officer, replacing Daniel Mathieson in the role. 

Brake is a chartered accountant and is moving into the role after being the company's chief operating officer, leading its global supply chain and response to the quality challenges it faced in 2022, said Zespri in a LinkedIn update. 

Brake held the role of chief operating officer, grower and supply chain, for just over a year. He joined the company in 2020 as its commercial manager before climbing the ladder as head of NZ supply and then chief global supply officer.

Don't miss: WE Communications picks new EVP, international head of integrated marketing

Prior to his stint in Zespri, Brake was with Miraka Limited as its key account manager and later, commercial manager. He has also held stints at ANZCO foods, Beef and Lamb NZ and AFFCO New Zealand. 

"He’s looking forward to getting underway and continuing our focus on delivering a great season," added the statement. "He’s also focused on leading the Zespri team to capture the significant demand opportunities in market, strengthening our supply chain and operational performance to maximise value in market and returning as much of that value back to growers."

Brake added that he is "incredibly honoured" to have been appointed as CEO of Zespri. 

"The kiwifruit industry is one of New Zealand’s great success stories and I am fortunate to be following in the footsteps of, and working alongside, some of the industry’s outstanding leaders," he said. 

"I’m hugely passionate and energised about the opportunities for the industry and about creating value for our growers and their communities and I’m looking forward to working alongside the industry to do so," he added. 

Zespri added that outgoing CEO Daniel Mathieson is leaving Zespri to join Driscoll’s, effective 1 July.

Earlier this year, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE sat down with Ng Kok Hwee, General Manager, global marketing, Zespri to find out more about what it takes to market the humble, nutrient-dense kiwifruit.

Rather than attempting to convince consumers to buy its products, Zespri has to constantly go beyond just selling and rather, needs to identify a gap in the market, according to Ng Kok Hwee, General Manager, global marketing, Zespri in a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

"As the world’s largest marketer of kiwifruit, Zespri is focused on helping people, communities, and the environment thrive through the goodness of the kiwifruit. We are very fortunate to be working with a product that's genuinely healthy and good. In fact, the kiwifruit is one of the most nutrient-dense fruits in the fruit bowl," said Ng.

She added that the brand is very fortunate to be working with a product that's genuinely healthy and good.

This is why our marketing strategy has been about igniting brand-led demand while securing a more significant share of the fruit bowl

"We achieve this by creating awareness about the remarkable nutritional benefits of our kiwifruit," she explained. 

Ng went on to say that as a marketing team, it went on a journey many years ago to help consumers make informed decisions about the food they are consuming and cultivate the right habits.

"We understand that behavioural change is not something that can be achieved overnight, or with advertising alone. Therefore, we work with many partners through many avenues, including educational programmes, advertising campaigns, influencers, experts and more, to shed light on the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables — not just kiwifruit," she said. 

Gear up for the most captivating PR conference of the year! #PRAsia #Singapore &  #Malaysia returns, bringing you the tools and insights you need to dominate in this dynamic environment. Join over 100 industry leaders and experts for an action-packed program filled with insightful discussions and valuable takeaways.

Related articles: 
Ascott names new VP of strategy and regional GM for MY and PH
Ronnie Brown steps up as Singapore GM and CTO of DirectAsia Insurance
Chagee Singapore nabs ex-foodpanda head as new CEO