Fresh Del Monte names Deema Anani as Chief Commercial Officer for specialty ingredients
UAE – Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has appointed Deema Anani as Chief Commercial Officer (Specialty Ingredients), a role that will see her spearhead commercial expansion efforts in a key segment of the company’s long-term strategy.
Based in Dubai, she will report directly to Chairman and CEO Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh.
Anani’s appointment aligns with Fresh Del Monte’s focus on advancing its Specialty Ingredients and Innovation segment.
She will collaborate with Dr. Nizar Haddad, who leads innovation, and Dr. Imad Farhat, head of specialty ingredients. Together, they will guide the company’s Biomass initiative, which was launched in 2024 to repurpose residues and byproducts into solutions that support soil health and wellness while fostering a circular economy.
“Deema’s leadership in commercial strategy and business development, coupled with her ability to drive growth across complex industries, makes her an invaluable addition to our leadership team,” said Abu-Ghazaleh.
“Her expertise will be essential in advancing our Biomass initiative, a key part of our vision to drive growth while developing more sustainable solutions.”
Anani brings more than 20 years of experience in revenue optimization, strategic growth, and commercial development. Before joining Fresh Del Monte, she served as Chief Commercial Officer at Queen Alia International Airport’s Airport International Group, where she oversaw food and beverage, duty-free, retail, and real estate operations.
Her career also includes leadership roles at Dubai Holding, IBM Consulting, and Chemonics International.
Her track record of leading large-scale commercial operations and driving strategic growth is expected to support Fresh Del Monte’s efforts in specialty ingredients, an area the company has been strengthening to diversify its business and enhance sustainability.
Financial performance and strategic growth
Fresh Del Monte has also released its financial results for the fourth quarter and the full fiscal year ending December 27, 2024.
The company reported a net income of $142.2 million for the year, reflecting improvements in key areas despite difficulties in its banana segment.
“Our full-year 2024 results reflect the effectiveness of our strategic focus and operational improvements. This success, achieved despite facing several challenges in 2024, was primarily driven by the exceptional performance of our fresh and value-added products segment, particularly pineapples, avocados, and fresh-cut fruit, which continue to fuel our growth and deliver strong gross margins,” said Abu-Ghazaleh.
For the fourth quarter, net sales reached $1,013.2 million, slightly above the US$1,008.6 million recorded in the previous year.
The increase was driven by higher selling prices in the fresh and value-added segment, though declines in banana sales offset some gains. Gross profit rose to US$68.7 million from US$62.5 million, indicating improved pricing and product performance.
Operating income stood at US$30.3 million, a significant improvement from the prior year’s operating loss of US$113.4 million, which had been affected by a non-cash asset impairment charge of US$133.8 million.
For the full year, net sales reached US$4,280.2 million, slightly down from US$4,320.7 million in 2023. Lower banana sales and currency fluctuations played a role in this decline, though strong fresh and value-added product sales helped stabilize overall performance.
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