Business
Mission Produce® Announces Leadership Succession and Provides Update on Board Refreshment Initiative
Founder & CEO Steve Barnard to Transition to Executive Chairman of the Board; President and COO John Pawlowski to Become CEO at the close of the Annual
About this update from Mission Produce, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Founder & CEO Steve Barnard to Transition to Executive Chairman of the Board; President and COO John Pawlowski to Become CEO at the close of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in April 2026 Board Refreshment Initiative Underway –Three New Independent Directors Appointed in Advance of Expected Retirement of Current Board Chair at close of the Annual Meeting OXNARD, Calif., Dec. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mission Produce, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVO) (“Mission” or “the Company”) a world leader in sourcing, producing, and distributing fresh Hass avocados, today announced a leadership succession plan and an update on its Board refreshment initiative. These actions position the Company to successfully execute on its long-term strategic plan, accelerate growth, and deliver value to shareholders. Leadership Succession Following two consecutive years of exceptional financial performance and operational execution, and the successful completion of a significant capital expenditure cycle, Mission Produce announced that President and Chief Operating Officer John Pawlowski has been named Chief Executive Officer, to become effective at the close of the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders in April 2026. Steve Barnard, who co-founded Mission in 1983 and served as its CEO since 1988, will transition to Executive Chairman of the Board, where he will continue to support the Company's strategic direction as Board Chair while working closely with Mr. Pawlowski and the leadership team in an advisory capacity. Steve Barnard commented, “Over the past four decades, our team has built Mission into the global leader in avocados—expanding our world-class growing operations, strengthening our distribution network across four continents, and establishing Mission as the partner of choice for retailers and foodservice customers worldwide. In the past two fiscal years, we delivered phenomenal results that demonstrate the extraordinary coordination and effectiveness of our team, completed a multi-year transformational capital investment cycle, and further enhanced the Company’s cash flow generation and balance sheet to capitalize on exciting future opportunities. Since joining Mission, John has brought tremendous leadership and operational expertise, and I am confident that his strategic vision and decades of experience in the global food industry makes him the ide...