Mission Produce® Appoints Douglas Stone to Board of Directors
Rhea-AI Summary
Mission Produce (NASDAQ: AVO) appointed Douglas M. Stone to its Board of Directors, effective November 26, 2025, expanding the Board from ten to eleven directors.
Stone joins as an independent Class I director with a term expiring at the Company’s 2027 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and was named to the Compensation Committee effective the same date; Bruce C. Taylor will no longer serve on that committee.
Stone most recently served as President of AgriBusiness at J.R. Simplot Company (June 2018–Dec 2024) and holds an MBA from the University of South Dakota and a BBA in Marketing from the University of Iowa.
Positive
- Board size increased to 11 directors effective Nov 26, 2025
- Independent Class I director appointment with term to 2027 meeting
- Stone brings agribusiness leadership (President, AgriBusiness at J.R. Simplot 2018–2024)
- Added to Compensation Committee effective Nov 26, 2025
Negative
- Compensation Committee member change: Bruce C. Taylor removed
- No financial metrics or guidance provided with the appointment
OXNARD, Calif., Nov. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mission Produce, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVO) (“Mission” or “the Company”) a world leader in sourcing, producing, and distributing fresh Hass avocados, today announced the appointment of Douglas M. Stone to its Board of Directors, effective November 26, 2025. Stone is appointed as an independent Class I director with a term expiring at the Company’s 2027 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. In connection with this appointment, Mission Produce’s Board of Directors has increased the size of the Board from ten to eleven directors.
In addition, Stone has been appointed to the Compensation Committee, effective November 26, 2025. In connection with this appointment, Bruce C. Taylor will no longer serve on the Compensation Committee.
Stone brings decades of leadership experience in the agribusiness industry. He most recently served as President of AgriBusiness at J.R. Simplot Company from June 2018 to December 2024, where he oversaw strategic growth and operational excellence across global markets. Prior to that, he held key leadership roles including Vice President of Wholesale Sales at J.R. Simplot Company (2016–2018), President and CEO of Consolidated Sourcing Solutions (2010–2016), and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Terra Industries Inc. (2007–2010).
“Douglas brings a wealth of experience in agribusiness and supply chain leadership,” said Steve Barnard, CEO of Mission Produce. “His proven ability to drive operational efficiency and strategic sourcing will be invaluable as Mission continues to strengthen its global network and deliver value to customers and shareholders.”
“I’m honored to join Mission Produce’s Board of Directors,” said Stone. “Mission’s commitment to quality, innovation, and growth aligns with my professional values, and I look forward to contributing to the Company’s long-term success.”
Stone holds an MBA from the University of South Dakota and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Iowa. His extensive background in leadership and strategic sourcing will provide valuable insights as Mission advances its global initiatives and explores new opportunities for growth.
About Mission Produce, Inc.:
Mission Produce (Nasdaq: AVO) is a global leader in the worldwide fresh produce business, delivering fresh Hass avocados and mangos to retail, wholesale and foodservice customers in over 25 countries. Since 1983, Mission Produce has been sourcing, producing and distributing fresh Hass avocados, and today also markets mangos and grows blueberries as part of its diversified portfolio. The Company is vertically integrated and owns five state-of-the-art packing facilities across the U.S., Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala. With sourcing capabilities across 20+ premium growing regions, the company provides a year-round supply of premium fresh fruit. Mission’s global distribution network includes strategically positioned forward distribution centers across key markets throughout North America, China, Europe, and the UK, offering value-added services such as ripening, bagging, custom packing and logistical management. For more information, please visit www.missionproduce.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not historical in nature are forward-looking statements that, within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Words such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "believe", "seek", "could", "estimate", "judgment", "targeting", "should", "anticipate", "goal" and variations of these words and similar expressions, are also intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release address a variety of subjects, including statements about our short-term and long-term assumptions, goals and targets. Many of these assumptions relate to matters that are beyond our control and changing rapidly. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurances that our expectations will be attained. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially from those implied by such forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including: reliance on primarily one main product, limitations regarding the supply of fruit, either through purchasing or growing; fluctuations in the market price of fruit; increasing competition; risks associated with doing business internationally, including Mexican and Peruvian economic, political and/or societal conditions; inflationary pressures; establishment of sales channels and geographic markets; loss of one or more of our largest customers; general economic conditions or downturns; supply chain failures or disruptions; disruption to the supply of reliable and cost-effective transportation; failure to recruit or retain employees, poor employee relations, and/or ineffective organizational structure; inherent farming risks, including climate change; seasonality in operating results; failures associated with information technology infrastructure, system security and cyber risks; new and changing privacy laws and our compliance with such laws; food safety events and recalls; failure to comply with laws and regulations; changes to trade policy and/or export/import laws and regulations; risks from business acquisitions, if any; lack of or failure of infrastructure; material litigation or governmental inquiries/actions; failure to maintain or protect our brand; changes in tax rates or international tax legislation; risks associated with global conflicts; inability to accurately forecast future performance; the viability of an active, liquid, and orderly market for our common stock; volatility in the trading price of our common stock; concentration of control in our executive officers, and directors over matters submitted to stockholders for approval; limited sources of capital appreciation; significant costs associated with being a public company and the allocation of significant management resources thereto; reliance on analyst reports; failure to maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting; restrictions on takeover attempts in our charter documents and under Delaware law; the selection of Delaware as the exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders; risks related to restrictive covenants under our credit facility, which could affect our flexibility to fund ongoing operations, uses of capital and strategic initiatives, and, if we are unable to maintain compliance with such covenants, lead to significant challenges in meeting our liquidity requirements and acceleration of our debt; and other risks and factors discussed from time to time in our Annual and Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You can obtain copies of our SEC filings on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Corporation does not intend to, nor does it assume any obligation to, update or supplement any forward-looking statements after the date hereof to reflect actual results or future events or circumstances.
Media
Jenna Aguilera
Marketing Content and Communications Manager
Mission Produce, Inc.
press@missionproduce.com
FAQ
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