Sun World International announced it is appointing Gerardo Lugo as chief commercial officer (CCO) and promoting Global Licensing Directors, Pablo Ramirez and Petri van der Merwe to vice presidents of global licensing.

The company says these moves reflect its growth and the powerful opportunities triggered by its acquisition of Biogold.  

“It’s a cause for celebration in any organization to announce the promotion of not just one, but two valued team members,” said Bernardo Calvo, Sun World’s president and COO. “But also adding Gerardo, who I’ve long known and deeply respect, reflects our collective optimism at Sun World. These three exemplary professionals are more than ready to hit the ground running on day one in their new positions, which is essential as there are many growth opportunities to be maximized.” 

Gerardo Lugo, new COO of Sun World International

Lugo, who will report to Calvo, brings three decades of agricultural experience to Sun World, primarily with Monsanto and Bayer’s row crop and vegetable seed businesses where he held numerous senior commercial and strategic roles.

Lugo lead operations in Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as at the global level. Lugo conceived and implemented countless innovative and sophisticated strategic initiatives to drive growth throughout his career.  

Sun World’s growth trajectory reflects the work of many teammates and especially new VPs Pablo Ramirez and Petri van der Merwe.

"Not only have they worked together to enhance Sun World’s geographic footprint, they have also collaborated to add invaluable system-wide processes and discipline that allow the company to more effectively align with and serve their licensees," the company said in a release.

Ramirez and van der Merwe join recently appointed VP of Global Licensing Viresh Ramburan. These executives will report to Lugo and will manage the company’s licensing activities and staff.   

Sun World pointed out three main reasons for what they call its "exponential growth."

First, the progress made by Sun World scientists and agronomists within the company’s core business. This work, decades in the making has yielded a robust pipeline of new, high-quality table grape and stone fruit offerings that customers have responded to very positively. This expansion takes the form of replacing older or public varietals with new genetics, as well as with plantings in existing and new geographies. 

Second, Biogold. The 2024 acquisition of South Africa-based Biogold significantly increased Sun World’s portfolio to include that company’s leadership in citrus, mangoes, and, eventually, avocado genetics. The synergy inherent in the Biogold acquisition is propelling Sun World’s ability to serve existing and new customers of both organizations with many of the world’s most in-demand fruit genetics. 

Lastly, foundational to Sun World’s growth is the degree to which the company has leaned into emerging discoveries in artificial intelligence; breakthroughs in science; and the potential for the smart use of data and analytics.