Calavo Growers has named Helen Kurtz as Senior Vice President & General Manager of Calavo Prepared, the company’s prepared foods segment.

Kurtz has more than 25 years of experience, primarily with General Mills Inc. where she led a number of brands, including Betty Crocker, Chex Mix and Fruit Snacks and served as Vice President of Yoplait. Most recently, she served as SVP, Chief Marketing Officer of Foster Farms, leading the poultry business and orchestrating its sale to private equity. 

“Helen is a results-driven leader with a wealth of experience in the packaged foods industry, and we are excited for her to lead and grow our Prepared segment,” said Brian W. Kocher, President and Chief Executive Officer of Calavo Growers, Inc. “Her operational and marketing expertise will help drive Calavo forward under our new segment structure.”

In April, Calavo announced it would reorganize its business into two segments, Grown and Prepared, with a senior vice president and general manager responsible for each. The dual segment structure aligns product fulfillment responsibilities with P&L management.

Kurtz said: “I’m excited to join the Calavo team at this stage of the company’s transformation, and I look forward to working with our team and customers to drive long-term growth in the Prepared segment.” 

Starting August 16th, Kurtz will lead Calavo’s Prepared segment, which consists of fresh cut fruits and vegetables, ready-to-eat sandwiches, wraps, among others. Ron Araiza, who is retiring from a long career in the produce industry in October, will assist in onboarding and transitioning.

The announcement comes after Danny Dumas was named as Senior Vice President & General Manager of Calavo Grown.