VALENCIA, CA – Sunkist has made a number of organizational changes to welcome the upcoming citrus season.

Terri Mouton, former Director of Marketing at Frieda’s, is now joining Sunkist as its new Director of Varietal Sales, focusing on the mandarin, tangerine, and tangelo categories, according to a press release.

Heralded for her expertise in brand development, the cooperative felt confident that Mouton would be well equipped to oversee and grow the easy peel category.

“Terri understands the challenges of the produce market and has a proven track record in business development, sales, and marketing strategy,” said Kevin Fiori, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We are excited to have her onboard to help take Sunkist to the next level as we move forward with our mandarin business.”

The cooperative has also promoted two company veterans, Ray Mizutani and Jeff Gaston.

Mizutani, a four-year Sunkist employee, will assume the Director of Export Sales position that is currently being held by Dave Pott. Pott has announced his intention to retire by the end of the year after more than 30 years in the citrus industry and nearly 11 years at Sunkist.

“Dave has been a key contributor to Sunkist’s export sales division, managing relationships with importers and exporters,” Fiori said. “Working closely with Dave during his time at Sunkist, Ray has gained the respect of customers, the shipper community and his colleagues within our organization. We feel fortunate to have him leading the export team moving forward.”

Last, but not least, Jeff Gaston, a 16-year Sunkist employee, has been promoted to Director of Western Sales to oversee accounts in the Western region from the cooperative’s headquarters.

“Jeff has been an integral part of our sales team for many years, and we are pleased to be promoting him to a leadership position to focus on growth in the Western region,” said Fiori.

With these changes, Sunkist believes it is more than ready to tackle the upcoming citrus season.

Sunkist