Martina departed Zespri in October after a little over 12 months as the New Zealand kiwifruit company’s Europe and North America director
Fresh produce marketer SanLucar has appointed former Steven Martina, former director of Zespri and The Greenery, as its new chief operating officer, the company has confirmed.
Martina stepped down unexpectedly from his role as NZ kiwifruit supplier Zespri’s director for Europe and North America in October, after just over a year in the job.
Prior to that he spent more than 19 years with Dutch company The Greenery, including almost eight years as its chief executive officer.
In a statement, SanLucar described the appointment as “the next important step” in its long-term development.
“We want to ensure our goal of being the revolution of fruit and vegetables in a sustainable way and take advantage of our market opportunities to continue growing,” said the group’s founder and president, Stephan Rötzer.
Martina’s arrival at SanLucar follows the addition of Eduardo Sanchez as CFO in November.
Group CEO Armin Rehberg welcomed Martina and praised his experience in logistics, product development, and sales across Europe and international markets.
“Steven will be close to our great international management team with his experience and passion for the fruit and vegetable sector, especially in their day-to-day work, strengthening our position in the global market,” he commented.
“He is an excellent candidate who will help us to further professionalise our structure.” Martina himself said he looked forward to the new challenge: “I am honored to join SanLucar, a company, I deeply respect for its bold vision and commitment to sustainability and growth.”
He added: “With nearly three decades in this industry, I am excited to work with the talented team at SanLucar to further drive growth and create lasting value for our partners and customers worldwide.”
