MEET THE SPEAKERS

Prerna Garg

HSBC

Prerna Garg is an equity research strategist with HSBC in Hong Kong and looks closely at Asia-Pacific markets and global demographics. She joined HSBC in 2005 andhas previously worked with another global investment bank, focusing on emerging markets equity strategy. Prerna is a graduate in life sciences from Miranda House, Delhi University, and holds a postgraduate diploma in business management from ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad.

Chris Baker

Totem Media

Chris Baker is founder and CEO of Totem Media. Over the course of the past 20-plus years, Chris has helped some of the world’s top brands achieve meaningful breakthroughs in China and around Asia, with particular experience in brand strategy, digital transformation and marketing innovation. Chris and his team have created more than 70 reports that have been viewed over a million times by global marketers.

Edwin Sun

NielsenIQ

Edwin Sun is site leader at NielsenIQ Hong Kong. He is a seasoned retail professional with over a decade of experience in data analytics, consumer insights, strategy consulting and retail loyalty. Edwin helps grocery retail partners in Hong Kong and Taiwan to transform their businesses and put customers first by using NielsenIQ’s The Full View mxeasurement to provide a complete and clear understanding of consumer buying behaviours.

Yang Qian

Pagoda

Yang Qian is head of the global marketing centre at Pagoda. She joined the leading Chinese fruit retail chain in 2017 and worked previously as senior director of Pagoda’s marketing centre, primarily responsible for marketing promotion, branding, live streaming, and e-commerce operations. Prior to joining Pagoda, she spent time at Walmart China where she held several roles heading up Sam’s Club (China)’s marketing team, Walmart app’s marketing and new user acquisition team, and the Walmart supermarket marketing and new market development team.

Jose Vottero

Fresh Fruit-X

Jose Vottero is managing director of Fresh Fruit-X. Jose has over ten years’ experience in Asia’s fresh produce business, getting his start as an agent with a number of South American companies. He established Palos Verdes in Spain, which later merged into Fruit-X. Jose joined AMFresh in October 2022 after the group acquired a majority shareholding in Fruit-X to create Fresh Fruit-X.

Konna Mu

Fresh Go (Joy Wing Mau)

Konna Mu is general manager of Joy Wing Mau international procurement platform, Fresh Go. Konna has vast experience in importing fruit to China and has worked extensively across wholesale, retail and other parts of Joy Wing Mau’s highly successful fresh produce business.

Julian Smith

Rockit Global

Julian Smith is the general manager of global marketing at Rockit Global. He partners with the Rockit sales team to connect the snack-sized Rockit apple to millions of new consumers across international channels. Julian has over 20 years’ experience in creating, building and growing international brands including Envy and Jazz apples, Steinlager Pure and Firstlight Foods.

Jan Doldersum

Rijk Zwaan

Jan Doldersum is Rijk Zwaan’s manager chain and retail. He is responsible for the company’s global policy domains of retail, trade, and consumer. Jan is involved in the strategy, development and implementation of brands and concepts in relation to these target groups.

Elad Mardix

Clarifruit

Elad Mardix is chief executive and co-founder of Clarifruit, which provides an automated, end-to-end quality control service for fresh produce supply chains. Prior to co-founding Clarifruit, Elad had a distinguished career working for JP Morgan in New York and Hong Kong, where he ran JP Morgan’s Asia Technology banking franchise.

Roy Ortiz

Dole Asia

Roy Ortiz is regional director of technical services and quality assurance at Dole Asia. He joined Dole in 1991 as a statistician at the Dole Philippines Cannery Division. He moved to Dole Asia regional operating headquarters in Manila in 2001 to handle the global supply chain. In 2006, Roy became the regional quality assurance manager for Dole Asia Fresh. He entered his current role in 2010 when his duties expanded to handle both technical services and quality assurance.

Gary Loh

DiMuto

Gary Loh is the founder and chief executive of DiMuto, an AI-driven agrifood trade solution which provides marketplace, trade management, and financial services. Since 2019, DiMuto has successfully tracked and traced millions of pieces of produce and dollars of trade value on its platform.

Gareth Edgecombe

T&G Global

Gareth Edgecombe joined T&G Global as chief executive in July 2018. He has extensive experience in business transformation, building high performing teams and developing brands across the Asia-Pacific region. He has held senior roles at Comfort Group, the Campbell Soup Company and The Coca-Cola Company’s South Pacific business. A former general manager of Puhoi Valley Cheese, Gareth has also served on the board of the Australian Food and Grocery Council.

Jesse Reader

Costa Group

Jesse Reader is commercial manager of agtech and innovation for leading Australian grower-packer-marketer, Costa Group. He applies new technology and innovative approaches to emerging and existing business needs. Jesse is an accomplished horticultural professional with 20 years’ experience. He has held various roles across the sector, including five years with global giant Robert Bosch.

Hannes Tauber

VOG

Hannes Tauber is a marketing expert with extensive international experience in the food and beverage industry. Currently serving as the head of marketing at the VOG Consortium, Europe’s leading commercial organisation in the apple industry, he ensures widespread availability and promotion of the high-quality apples of South Tyrol, Italy.

George Jessett

Costa Group

George Jessett is the international horticulture manager of Costa Group. In nearly two decades at Costa, he has played an integral part in leading the development and growth of the company’s successful international berry business. With primary responsibility for the design and implementation of globally oriented technical programmes, George has also placed a strong emphasis on developing a breeding programme focused on premium blueberry varieties.

Marie-Anne de Béjarry

SNFL Group

Marie-Anne de Béjarry is global marketing and communications manager for SNFL Group. She joined SNFL in 2021 to enhance the company’s marketing activities worldwide focusing on growers, retailers, and consumers, and to create innovative communication strategies for fresh fruits. Prior to joining SNFL, Marie-Anne was commercial director at SPRIM, a health marketing agency.

Betty Wang

ANZ

Betty Wang is ANZ’s senior economist and covers China’s macroeconomic and financial market development. Specifically, she is focused on tracking China’s economic drivers and has written a number of ‘Primer’ reports on China’s property market, fiscal policy, urbanisation, provincial debts, and Belt and Road. Betty is also the primary person coordinating global ESG coverage in the research team.

Lu Minh Quang

Biovegi

Lu Minh Quang is import director of Biovegi, one of Vietnam’s leading fresh fruit importers. Quang is on a mission to bring the highest quality, most premium fresh fruit to Vietnam’s growing market via Biovegi’s nationwide distribution channels and to build brands with industry leaders such as Zespri and T&G Global.

Iván Marambio

Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (Asoex)

Iván Marambio Castaño is chairperson of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (Asoex), whose members represent more than 90 per cent of the volume of fresh produce exported from the country. A lawyer by profession, Iván has held various leadership roles in the private sector in the areas of regulatory issues, sustainability and facilitating fruit exports. He has worked in Chile, Latin America, and South Africa.

Wang Song

Qupai Fruit (Joy Wing Mau)

Wang Song is commercial manager of Qupai Fruit, one of China’s leading fresh fruit importers and distributors, which was founded in 1996. Headquartered in Shenyang, Qupai Fruit has branches in Beijing, Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities, and actively develops cooperation with overseas and Chinese suppliers. Qupai Fruit was acquired by Joy Wing Mau in 2017 to become part of the Joy Wing Mau Group.

Mike Chiue

Hongjiu Fruit

Mike Chiue is COO assistant at Hongjiu Fruit. He heads up sourcing, procurement, and distribution of fruit from South America, sharing the outstanding sales returns achieved through all of Hongjiu Fruit’s markets and sales channels with the company’s clients and growers.

Wayne Prowse

Fresh Intelligence Consulting

Wayne Prowse is a leading market analyst for the global fresh produce trade. With 25 years’ experience working in the fresh produce industry, Wayne has been directorof Fresh Intelligence Consulting for over a decade, providing analysis and insights to industry, government, and private clients seeking to understand the global trade drivers and disruptors. He has produced the analysis for 13 editions of the Asiafruit Congress Statistics Handbook.

Kennard Wong

Unifrutti Japan

Kennard Wong is chief executive of Unifrutti Japan. He joined the company in 1998, serving as chief financial officer before being promoted to his current role. Unifruttiis a leading importer and marketer of fresh produce for the Japan market with a particular focus on bananas. Kennard is also president of the Japan Banana Importers Association (JBIA) which focuses on advancing the Japanese banana industry fostering consumption and ensuring food safety.

June Choi

Soo Il Commerce

June Choi is executive managing director of leading Korean fruit importer Sool Il Commerce. June has been working in the country’s imported fresh fruit business for 23 years. He started his career at international trading company LG International in 1996.

Sarah McCormack

Te Mata Exports

Sarah McCormack is one of the founders of Te Mata Exports Australia, which recently merged with Te Mata Exports NZ, and she is now chief executive of the combined business. Sarah first got into the fresh produce industry in the mid-1990s due to her ability to speak Japanese. She has since held several senior roles for international produce organisations involved in sales and marketing, import/export and growing.

Angel Mompo

Fresh Fruit-X

Angel Mompo is product manager for Fresh Fruit-X, spearheading the company’s global sourcing strategy. A dedicated fruit industry professional with a passion for market development and customer service, Angel is fostering strong relationships in the Vietnam market.