Norwegian company welcomes Wenninger to help accelerate growth of its robotics services in UK and US
Dorn Wenninger has been appointed chair of the board at agri-robotics specialist Saga Robotics.
Wenninger has over 30 years’ experience working for major international fresh produce suppliers and retailers.
And Saga explained that he understands agriculture crop customers, having held senior roles in Europe, Central and South America, and the US for Driscoll’s Strawberries and Chiquita Bananas.
In the second half of his career, Wenninger led retail and buying teams responsible for billions of US dollars in annual purchases for Walmart US, Walmart Mexico, and most recently as senior vice president of produce for UNFI, one of the largest wholesalers in the US.
He has spent his career visiting growers and retailers in over 100 countries. Importantly for Saga Robotics’ current business, he also spent years in the European berry business, which represents a significant portion of Saga Robotics’ growth.
After most recently spending 14 years in the North American produce industry, Wenninger relocated to London in 2024.
He said: “I’m honoured and excited to be joining Saga Robotics at this important time. The Thorvald robots demonstrated in 2024 that they have proven commercial viability at scale. In 2025 we are well poised for dramatic growth in both the US and the UK.
“As our autonomous robots use UV-C light to eliminate the need for chemical sprays in both [wine] grapes and strawberries, growers are dramatically reducing fungicide use. And the autonomous nature and nighttime application is reducing labour requirements as well as the carbon footprint of traditional farm equipment.
“I’m excited to work with the talented team at Saga Robotics as we continue to scale with more robots and added features in the years to come”.
Saga Robotics CEO Pål Johan From added: “Saga Robotics is entering a new era of growth, with the US vineyard market as a key focus in addition to continued success in the UK strawberry sector.
“Wenninger’s deep understanding of agriculture markets and grower needs uniquely positions Saga Robotics to navigate its next phase of growth. His extensive experience in the European berry industry and North American produce sector directly aligns with Saga Robotics’ focus on expanding its footprint in both the UK strawberry market and the US vineyard sector.”
