Zespri has announced that its senior sales and marketing leadership will change in May, following the resignation of its global president of sales and marketing Yu-jan Chen.
Chen – who is wanted by Chinese authorities in connection with the recent high-profile anti-smuggling case involving the New Zealand kiwifruit exporter – is due to finish with the company in early May.
Daniel Mathieson has been promoted to succeed Chen as global president of sales and marketing.
Since joining Zespri in 2003, Mathieson has served in a number of roles –mostly in Asia –but most recently he has been based in Antwerp, Belgium, as vice-president of sales and marketing. He will relocate to Japan in his new role.
Zespri declined to comment on Chen’s departure today, indicating it would wait until the change has been finalised.
After joining the then New Zealand Kiwifruit Marketing Board in 1994 as general manager for Japan, Chen swiftly took on responsibility for East Asia too, and was appointed Zespri’s general manager for Asia/America in 2000. In April 2011, he became global president of sales and marketing.
However, in March this year, Zespri said Chen was “away from active duties” while its management conducted a “review of historical matters relating to the China market”.
Zespri’s China-based subsidiary, Zespri Management Consulting Company (ZMCC), and one of its employees, Joseph Yu, were recently found guilty by a Shanghai Court of being an accessory to the under-declaration of customs duties by Zespri’s former independent importers between 2008 and 2010.
The Chinese authorities have also issued an arrest warrant for Yu-jan Chen, in connection with the high-profile fraud case.
Chen – under whom the convicted ZMCC employee worked in Shanghai – is wanted by fraud investigators looking to prosecute him for his alleged role in the completion of invoices registering lower prices for Zespri Gold kiwifruit.
Chen has not returned to China since the detention order was issued and he is understood to be residing in Taiwan, his country of birth.
Simon Limmer has been installed as acting general manager of Zespri’s China business.
