CALIFORNIA - Saga Robotics, a global leader in autonomous and robotic solutions for agriculture with its innovative Thorvald robot, announces the appointment of Dorn Wenninger as Chair of the Board. Dorn Wenninger brings deep expertise in the global produce and retail industry with over 30 years experience working for leading international produce suppliers as well as leading global retailers.

A press release noted that Dorn understands agriculture crop customers, having held senior roles in Europe, Central and South America, and the U.S. for Driscoll’s Strawberries and Chiquita Bananas. In the second half of his career Dorn led retail and buying teams responsible for billions of $US in annual purchases for Walmart U.S., Walmart Mexico, and most recently as Sr. VP of Produce for UNFI, one of the largest wholesalers in the U.S.

He has spent his career visiting farmers and retailers in over 100 countries. Importantly for Saga Robotics’ current business, Dorn spent years in the European berry business, which represents a significant portion of Saga Robotics’ growth. After most recently spending 14 years in the North American produce industry, Dorn relocated back to London in 2024.

Reacting to his appointment Dorn said, “I’m honoured and excited to be joining Saga Robotics at this important time. The Thorvald robots demonstrated in 2024 that they have proven commercial viability at scale. In 2025 we are well poised for dramatic growth in both the U.S. and the UK. As our autonomous robots use UV-C light to eliminate the need for chemical sprays in both grapes and strawberries, growers are dramatically reducing fungicide use. And the autonomous nature and night time application is reducing labor requirements as well as the carbon footprint of traditional farm equipment. I’m excited to work with the talented team at Saga Robotics as we continue to scale with more robots and added features in the years to come."

Pål Johan From, Saga Robotics CEO commented, “Saga Robotics is entering a new era of growth, with the U.S. vineyard market as a key focus in addition to continued success in the UK strawberry sector. Wenninger’s deep understanding of agriculture markets and grower needs uniquely positions Saga Robotics to navigate its next phase of growth. His extensive experience in the European berry industry and North American produce sector directly aligns with Saga Robotics’ focus on expanding its footprint in both the UK strawberry market and the U.S. vineyard sector."