Sun World International LLC, a leading global variety development and licensing business based in California, is growing its portfolio of premium fruit varieties and licensed producers. 

The company announced the appointment of two global licensing directors to lead the company’s commercial activities and staff. The firm also appointed three new regional managers.

“As our momentum grows worldwide with breeding innovations, the launch of new fruit varieties and brands along with the rapid expansion of our family of licensees, we remain committed to providing our customers with access to our table grape and stone fruit varieties and the accompanying support our local managers offer,” Sun World CEO David Marguleas says.

“These changes include existing team members expanding into new leadership roles along with the hiring of new licensing managers who bring decades of experience to the field.”

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Two New Global Licensing Directors

Pablo Ramirez and Petri van der Merwe have been promoted to global licensing Directors with Ramirez responsible for South America, Europe and China, and van der Merwe responsible for North America, South Africa, Israel, Australia and North Africa. 

The company says  these new management roles bring a focus on the supply of premium products and solutions to meet the industry needs, while taking Sun World to the next level in service of more than 2,000 licensed producers around the globe.

• Both Global Licensing Directors will report to Marguleas. They will also extend their responsibilities to developing and onboarding grower relationships in new territories.
• Ramirez and van der Merwe were previously responsible for the company’s South American and North American regions.

Three new licensing managers

• Ben Taieb, licensing manager for North Africa and selected other new territories. Born in Tangier, Morocco, and raised in Antwerp, Belgium, Taieb  has been in the fruit industry for more than 30 years. He has deep post-harvest expertise in a broad range of produce and has accumulated great commercial knowledge and many global connections involved in the retail, distribution and exporting of fruit. His  objective is to grow the Sun World business alongside their world class licensees in North Africa and Middle East and develop business opportunities for new products and territories.
• Daniel Lopez, licensing manager - Peru. Lopez  has professional experience in business development, with a focus in recent years in agribusiness in Mexico, Chile and Peru. His  objective is to strengthen relationships with Sun World’s licensees in Peru, maintaining promising industry growth and developing new products and opportunities for their licensees and for the industry in Peru.
• Zach Cason, licensing manager for North America, previously worked with an agricultural biotech startup working with growers and packers throughout California to efficiently run operations. A Bakersfield native, he has an agricultural business degree from California State University Chico, where he discovered his passion for sustainable farming and agriculture technology.