WATSONVILLE, CA - Driscoll’s announces the retirement of Tom O’Brien, Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources & General Counsel, who will step down from his leadership role early in the year. A pivotal figure in the produce industry with a career spanning more than 30 years, O’Brien leaves behind a remarkable legacy of innovation, advocacy, and leadership.

O’Brien’s relationship with Driscoll’s began nearly 25 years ago when he represented the company as an attorney in Washington, D.C. In 2014, he became Driscoll’s first General Counsel, and his role steadily expanded over the years to include oversight of Global Human Resources and Public Affairs.

“Tom has been a friend, colleague, and partner for over two decades. We have navigated many issues together, challenges and opportunities that continually arise in our fresh berry business,” said J. Miles Reiter, Executive Chairman of the Board for Driscoll’s. “He is remarkably adept at seeing around the corner and articulating concepts in ways that drive clarity. While we are fully aligned on core values and goals, Tom is also the person with whom I most enjoy a healthy disagreement, something we both expect to continue to value highly.”

Before his tenure at Driscoll’s, O’Brien’s influence was already well-established at the intersection of law, policy, and agriculture. His policy work spanned issues as diverse as the development of the first federal organic standards, passage of food safety legislation, the unfinished work of immigration reform, and a host of plant pests and quarantines. From 1993 to 1999, he served as a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He then moved from the federal to the state level, where he was a policy advisor to California Governor Gray Davis in the Governor’s Washington D.C. office.

After leaving government service until joining Driscoll’s, O’Brien was in private practice in Washington, where clients included Produce Marketing Association, California nurseries and dairies, the promotion boards for mangos and avocados, and Driscoll’s.

“Tom’s career has been a testament to the power of collaboration and thoughtful leadership in agriculture,” said Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “He exemplifies the qualities of exceptional leadership: intelligence, strategic vision, and an unwavering commitment to partnership. His work has not only strengthened Driscoll’s but also elevated the entire produce industry. For the 25 years I’ve known him, I have valued his counsel and insight on complex challenges, but most of all, I have cherished his steadfast friendship.”

O’Brien will step down from the HR and legal responsibilities early in the year. During the transition, he will remain as Driscoll’s Corporate Secretary and Counsel to the Board.