Germany-based BayWa AG has announced that its head of global produce Cristiane Bell will leave the company at her own request on March 31, 2020.

BayWa - which is the majority shareholder of New Zealand's largest fruit grower-export, T&G Global - said that in Bell's six years at the company she has "transformed" its regional fruit business into an international unit that generated €27.2 million in EBIT last year. 

Under her direction, BayWa acquired the Tropical Fruit Company (TFC) in the Netherlands. It added that she "systematically developed" T&G Global, particularly in terms of strategic Asian markets.

“Internationalizing BayWa’s fruit business and contributing my expertise to the establishment of the new Global Produce business unit was a valuable experience for me,” said Bell. “Now it’s time for me to take on new challenges. I will always look back with fondness on my time at BayWa.”

BayWa said it "deeply regrets" Bell’s decision and thanks her for the role she has played in the development of the BayWa Group over the past few years.

Benedikt Mangold will take over Christiane Bell’s role effective 1 August 2019. Bell will remain with the company in an advisory capacity through the end of March 2020.

Mangold has worked for BayWa AG in various positions since 2011, most recently from 2016 to 2019 as head of strategic planning & transformation international at T&G Global. He has been responsible for special and private customer sales in the BayWa Agricultural Equipment Business Unit since the beginning of 2019.