Behind The Fruit - The Fresh Produce Podcast

The fresh produce industry is full of strong opinions and big decisions. Behind the Fruit goes one step further and looks at the people behind them. Through candid conversations with leaders from across the global produce sector, we explore careers, challenges, and the moments that shape how they lead. Expect thoughtful discussion, practical insight, and stories you won’t hear on a panel stage.

Behind The Fruit - The Fresh Produce Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Lucy Robinson, with 16 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Lucy Robinson hosts Behind The Fruit - The Fresh Produce Podcast, a business show with 16 episodes published.

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  Episode #16

  The Long Way Home: Leadership, Fresh Produce and Regenerative Agriculture with Viviane Bauters

  Oct 1, 20261h 13mS1

  Viviane Bauters' 35-year career has taken her from Lake Chad to senior roles across fresh produce, retail and agri-food. In this episode of Behind the Fruit, Viviane joins Lucy Robinson to look back at the experiences that shaped the way she leads and builds teams. She shares what she's learned from working across different countries and cultures, and from the people she's met along the way. They also explore where fresh produce could go next, including regenerative agriculture and nutrient density. Viviane is currently researching a particular question: how can growers demonstrate the nutritional difference in what they produce? The conversation follows an international career in food and fresh produce, the lessons Viviane has carried with her and the questions she's still asking after 35 years in the industry. About LCR International LCR International supports senior hiring across the global fresh produce sector. We work with businesses where roles require a mix of technical, commercial, and leadership experience, often across regions. Typical support includes: • Retained executive search • Talent mapping and competitor insight • Org structure and succession planning If you're hiring and want a clearer view of the market before you start, you can get in touch here: https://www.lcrint.com/

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  Episode #15

  An Unplanned Career in Fresh Produce: Rochelle Bohm's Journey to CMI Orchards

  Sep 9, 202656 min

  What happens when a job you thought would be temporary becomes a 13-year career? Rochelle Bohm never planned a career in fresh produce. Her route took her from New Zealand to Australia, environmental science in Kuwait and almost a decade in Alaska before she eventually arrived in Washington State and joined CMI Orchards. What she expected to be a temporary role became the next chapter of an already unconventional career. Today, Rochelle is Vice President of Marketing at CMI Orchards. In this episode of Behind the Fruit , Rochelle joins Lucy Robinson to talk about the experiences that shaped her career, why fresh produce proved so much more interesting than she'd expected, and how her role at CMI has developed over the past 13 years. They also explore CMI's approach to brands and retail marketing, its apple-matching experience inspired by dating apps, an extraordinary in-store orchard activation in Texas, and how the team is using AI. The conversation turns to people too, including what Rochelle looks for when hiring, why attitude can outweigh education, maintaining culture as a business grows, and her advice for people building their own careers in fresh produce. About LCR International LCR International supports senior hiring across the global fresh produce sector. We work with businesses where roles require a mix of technical, commercial, and leadership experience, often across regions. Typical support includes: • Retained executive search • Talent mapping and competitor insight • Org structure and succession planning If you're hiring and want a clearer view of the market before you start, you can get in touch here: https://www.lcrint.com/

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  Episode #14

  From Fresh Produce to Supply Chain Tech: Miguel Jubal, Cargo Produce

  Aug 27, 202630 minS1

  Miguel Jubal spent almost 20 years working across international fresh produce supply chains before co-founding Cargo Produce, a supply chain software platform built specifically for exporters and importers. In this episode of Behind the Fruit, Lucy Robinson talks to Miguel about his career across Chile, Peru and the US, and how working on both the exporter and importer sides of the industry shaped the business he eventually built. Miguel explains the problems Cargo Produce was created to solve and how the company has grown since officially starting in 2022. He also talks about leading a global remote team, what he looks for when hiring, and why fresh produce experience isn't always necessary for people joining the business. They also discuss Miguel's view that fresh produce is far more tech savvy than it is sometimes given credit for, and how Cargo Produce is developing new services in response to the needs of its customers. In this episode: Miguel's journey through the fresh produce industry Why he co-founded Cargo Produce How the platform supports exporters and importers Growing Cargo Produce and leading a remote team What Miguel looks for when hiring Technology in the fresh produce industry What's next for Cargo Produce Find out more: Cargo Produce: https://cargoproduce.com About LCR International LCR International supports senior hiring across the global fresh produce sector. We work with businesses where roles require a mix of technical, commercial, and leadership experience, often across regions. Typical support includes: • Retained executive search • Talent mapping and competitor insight • Org structure and succession planning If you're hiring and want a clearer view of the market before you start, you can get in touch here: https://www.lcrint.com/

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  Episode #13

  From Marketing to CEO: David Baxter on Leadership, Hiring and Growing Natural Delights

  Aug 13, 202653 minS1

  David Baxter’s route to becoming CEO of Natural Delights began with an engineering degree and a facilities management job. It later took him through General Mills, food marketing and a move to the Arizona desert. In Episode 13 of Behind the Fruit, David joins Lucy Robinson to share how saying yes to work outside his formal remit helped prepare him to lead a business at 40. They discuss his first months as CEO, including the decisions he had to make when Natural Delights’ available volume changed. David also explains what he looks for when hiring, why experience from outside fresh produce can strengthen a team, and how Natural Delights helped make Medjool dates more familiar to US consumers. You’ll also hear David’s advice for professionals who want greater exposure to senior leadership and need to make their contribution visible. About LCR International LCR International supports senior hiring across the global fresh produce sector. We work with businesses where roles require a mix of technical, commercial, and leadership experience, often across regions. Typical support includes: • Retained executive search • Talent mapping and competitor insight • Org structure and succession planning If you're hiring and want a clearer view of the market before you start, you can get in touch here: https://www.lcrint.com/

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  Episode #12

  AI, Data and the Future of Fresh Produce with Todd Gibson | Behind the Fruit Ep. 12

  Jul 22, 20261h 1mS1

  Fresh produce businesses are generating huge amounts of information every day. Much of it still sits on paper forms, in spreadsheets and across systems that don’t communicate with each other. That creates a problem for companies hoping to make better use of AI. Todd Gibson joins Lucy Robinson to discuss what fresh produce businesses need in place before AI and automation can produce useful results. Todd is a strategic advisor at GoLive, where he works with food, beverage and fresh produce companies on finance, process automation and operational improvement. They discuss the “shadow system of record” that exists outside many ERP systems, why valuable growing and operational information is often lost, and how businesses can begin connecting that information without trying to change everything at once. Todd also explains where AI is already working in agriculture, from computer vision and laser weeders to predictive modelling, and where generative AI may help reduce repetitive administrative work. The conversation covers: Why good data needs to come before AI The hidden manual processes inside fresh produce businesses How AI can help move information between systems Whether AI projects genuinely save time and money Human review, judgement and fact-checking Employee concerns about automation AI policies and company information Preparing for future labour and climate challenges Todd also shares his advice for leaders who want to become more confident using AI: begin with a repetitive task in your own working day and learn what the tools can and can’t do. Connect with Todd Gibson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddsgibson/ Email: todd.gibson@onegolive.com GoLive: https://onegolive.com Behind the Fruit is brought to you by LCR International, the executive search firm for the global fresh produce industry. About LCR International LCR International supports senior hiring across the global fresh produce sector. We work with businesses where roles require a mix of technical, commercial, and leadership experience, often across regions. Typical support includes: • Retained executive search • Talent mapping and competitor insight • Org structure and succession planning If you're hiring and want a clearer view of the market before you start, you can get in touch here: https://www.lcrint.com/

  ListenShow Notes

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