International Sustainability Summit Program

Chairman, CEO and Managing Partner

For nearly 50 years, John Anderson’s finely-honed business instincts have left an indelible mark on a global industry, while building Oppy into a strong and successful produce marketing enterprise.

After John joined us as a warehouseman, he moved rapidly through sales and operations roles into executive level management, contributing ideas that shaped the future direction of the organization. By forging strong international relationships that assured uninterrupted supplies of preferred produce items, and channeling resources into logistics and technology, John’s efforts have set Oppy apart as a leader. And through his dedication to strategic growth and guidance of our expect the world from us culture, we’ve stayed that way.

Meanwhile, John has led numerous key industry initiatives, from streamlining international trade, to recruiting the best young talent to the produce community. His work on industry boards and committees has earned him a reputation for leadership and insight well beyond the Oppy network.

John’s contributions to the produce industry and general business community have led to numerous professional awards. In 2017, he was recognized as one of Canada's Most Admired™ CEOs by Waterstone Human Capital. In 2014, John received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce, recognized by Senator and Lieutenant Governor-elect Mike Stack as a person who has made a difference to the well-being of the people living and working in the state of Pennsylvania.

Shortly afterward, he was also honored with a BC CEO Award in the major private company category. In 2013, John was named as a Dealmaker of the Year by the BC Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and became the first and only Canadian to be honored as The Packer’s Produce Marketer of the Year in 2012. In 2002 John was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the Business to Business category, and again in 2015, not only for the food and beverage category but for the Pacific Region overall.

In recent years John was awarded both CPMA’s and BCPMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 and as a BC Business Laureates Hall of Fame honoree in 2023. John is also currently serving as IFPA’s Chair for the 2024 year.

Under John’s leadership, Oppy has been designated among Canada’s Best Managed Companies for 23 years running, one of BC’s Top Employers every year since 2017, among Canada's Most Admired™ Corporate Cultures three times, along with being honored as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers in 2020 and 2021.

Yogendra (Yogi) is a recognized expert in the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative team (SSCI) at the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), focusing on human rights and environmental standards. He has supported CGF for more than a decade in numerous projects involving independent reviews and benchmarking of sustainable supply chain standards. With over 25 years of experience across Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America, Yogi's expertise spans environment, human rights, and sustainability. Holding a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and an MBA, he has worked closely with industry, academia, standard-setting bodies, policymakers, indigenous organizations, and not-for-profits on human rights and environmental issues.

Packaging Development, Safety, and Sustainability Consulting and Training

Cheryl has over 40 years of hands-on experience in the packaging industry, including flexible plastics, folding cartons, and corrugated products. Her roles have included senior management, sales and marketing, product development, operations, and continuous improvement. Since 2009, she has operated her own consulting company conducting packaging-related research, providing training for agri-food and university programs, and helping packaging companies get IFS PACsecure certified. Cheryl is an active member of PAC Global as Chair of the Pacific Region Leadership Council and PAC Next consultant. She also supports International Featured Standards (IFS) in marketing their standards and programs.

Tom Pierce brings 30+ years of produce experience and industry knowledge to his current role at Sobeys as Director of Supplier Development. Tom began work in the stores at ground level and gained experience while working in a variety of departments before eventually focusing on produce. In 2004, Tom moved backstage to utilize his hands on knowledge of produce in several QC roles in both the warehouse and field, shifting into procurement where he has since poured his passion for produce into both the pursuit of supply chain optimization and the active modernization of traditional supplier relationship architecture. Tom has been with Sobeys since 2016.

Matt Aronson, Chief Revenue Officer, Verdant Technologies

Matt joined Verdant Technologies in 2021, continuing his career in the agtech startup space. In his role as Chief Revenue Officer, he leads the Sales and Marketing teams in executing the company’s go-to-market strategy. Prior to joining Verdant, Matt spent nearly 7 years at Apeel Sciences in various customer-facing roles that supported manufacturing strategy, solution implementation, sales and business development. Matt holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia, and a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Rooted in an understanding of food and farming, John Mesko has been advancing agricultural sustainability for over 25 years, working with supply chain partners to help farmers learn about, evaluate, and choose farming practices which make sense for their bottom line. As the President and CEO of the Potato Sustainability Alliance, John and his team are collecting and reporting data and information which help to tell the unique story of potato sustainability. He speaks regularly about agricultural sustainability and is the host of the Resource Positive Agriculture podcast. He can be reached at [email protected]

Joanna Nathanson is Head of Sustainability and External Relations at Freshfel Europe, the European fresh produce association. She joined Freshfel Europe in 2022 as Trade Policy Advisor and came into the role of Policy Advisor of Sustainability in 2023, before assuming her current position. Joanna works with a range of sustainability topics, including on packaging and certifications, and is currently coordinator of Freshfel Europe’s joint sector approach to Corporate Sustainability Reporting. She did her studies in her native country Sweden and in the Netherlands and has an academic background in political science, international political economy and international law.

Directof of Innovation and Sustainability

Garland Perkins is the Director of Innovation and Sustainability for the Oppenheimer Group, “Oppy,” a global grower, shipper and marker of fresh produce. Garland estasblished Oppy’s strategy for both innovation and sustainability in recent years and her responsibilities pertaining to innovation include: managing precision agriculture technology and exploring numerous technologies focused on automation and creating efficiencies in the supply chain. In 2022, Garland led the effort to define Oppy’s focus areas for the company’s sustainability efforts: decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, food waste, water use, investing in sustainable packaging materials and enhancing our impact on the people and communities in which we operate. She also spreadsheaded setting tangible, measurable sustainability objectives culminating with Oppy’s first-ever in-depth sustainability report released in Febrary 2023.

Garland has worked in multiple roles throughout her nearly 12 year tenure at Oppy including experience in sales, business development, marketing, innovation and sustainability. Prior to Oppy, Garland worked for Francis Produce in Greenville, SC and she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Spanish Minor from Clemson University as well as obtaining a Master of Science in Agribusiness from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California.

As Director of International Sales at Copeland, Gerd lends his 17-years of produce industry expertise and insights into perishable shipment visibility throughout the cold chain. His influential presence is felt around the world and recently was a speaker at Fruit Logistica Berlin. Prior to his time with Copeland/Emerson/PakSense, Gerd excelled as a Product Manager at Extended Systems, a NASDAQ-listed company renowned for its cutting-edge technology licensing, including Bluetooth. He holds a Drs. Degree in International Economics from Tilburg University in the Netherlands and a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Montana State University. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Gerd finds joy on his cycling adventures, building Legos, and embarking on memorable global food travel journeys with his teenage sons.

Technical Advisory Group (TAG), United Fresh NZ

Jacob Lawes is the Projects Manager for the United Fresh Technical Advisory Group (TAG). Jacob has been a TAG member for 7 years, involved in the Sustainability, Traceability, Industrial Gases, and Climate Change areas, as well as preparing relevant submissions to Government ministries, agencies, and Parliamentary Select Committees, in the areas of interest to United Fresh members. Jacob also manages the production of Fresh Facts, the United Fresh annual industry facts & stats publication.

Jacob holds a Bachelors of Natural Science, and a Masters of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on United Fresh’s efforts to guide the New Zealand fresh produce industry in implementing the United Nation’s SDGs.

Jacob also represents United Fresh New Zealand on the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) Sustainability Committee.

Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Chair, United Fresh NZ

Hans was a founding member of United Fresh when it was formed in1991. He is currently the Executive Committee’s Knowledge Officer, Chair of the United Fresh Technical Advisory Group (TAG), and Editor of Fresh Facts.

Hans also chairs the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) Information Management & Standardization Committee.

Hans’ professional interests revolve around all strategic value chain aspects of international agribusiness, particularly in the area of governance related to fruit and vegetables.

Erika Luna is a Policy Analyst at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, with the Economic, Law and Policy Program, focusing specifically on the State of Sustainability Initiatives.

With a master’s of science specialized in resources, environment, and sustainability from the University of British Columbia, Erika has extensive experience as an interdisciplinary researcher working on international development projects. Through her research, she provides evidence-based recommendations to various stakeholders on advancing more inclusive and sustainable value chains. This includes research on sustainable production and consumption of agricultural commodities compliant with Voluntary Sustainability Standards and the integration of climate action in corporate agendas through Voluntary Standards for Carbon Management.

Jonathan Belair is the Managing Partner of Power Sustainable Lios. He has 20 years of investing and operating experience, with a deep focus in food, agriculture, and sustainability. Prior to Power Sustainable Lios, Jonathan most recently spent 5 years as a senior executive at McCain Foods, a global food processing and agriculture company with C$10 billion in revenues. Throughout this period, Jonathan led global M&A, Strategy, and Venture Investing, as well as the Company’s Global Sustainability/ESG function. He has led investments across the food value chain, including in agriculture production, regenerative agriculture, vertical farming, plant-based protein, agriculture data analytics, food processing, and transportation. Prior to McCain Foods, Jonathan was a senior member of the direct private equity team at OMERS Private Equity (OMERS) where he was responsible for sourcing, executing, and managing direct private equity investments in North America. In addition, Jonathan participated on the board of directors of several portfolio companies and provided strategic and operational leadership to a number of investments. Prior to OMERS, Jonathan was part of the investment banking group at Scotiabank, where he was involved in mandates across industry groups, focused on mergers and acquisitions advisory, and equity and debt financings.

Graeme Blair is Director within the Royal Bank of Canada’s Sustainable Finance Group. He works closely with RBC mid-market clients who view sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors as an essential part of their corporate strategy and investment decision-making process. He has over two decades of experience in capital markets and has advised and executed on various M&A, recapitalization, growth capital and financing mandates, including a number of Canadian food-related transactions. Prior to RBC, Graeme led buy-side engagements for public and private investor groups at a boutique M&A advisory firm. He also managed corporate development initiatives, including capital raising, for a cloud-based software company, Nightingale Informatix Corporation, a #1 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 ranked firm (bought by Pulse Systems, Inc. and TELUS Health). Graeme holds a Bachelor of Political Studies from Queen’s University, as well as an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Joseph L. Rotman School of Management and serves as National Co-Chair of RBC’s CCG Diversity and Inclusion Committee.