The conversation delves into Mark's journey to leadership, his non-traditional route, the role of values, the evolution of his management style, hiring for growth and diversity, traits for senior roles, assessing curiosity in interviews, and deliberate growth of leaders. Key takeaways include the importance of empowering others and the critical role of curiosity and a love of learning in leadership. The conversation delves into the impact of leadership experience, emphasizing the value of people and relationships, resilience in leadership, navigating career trajectories, leadership and adaptability across cultures, leadership beliefs and industry disagreements, the future of leadership in agriculture and sustainability, and advice for the next generation of leaders. Key takeaways include the importance of developing people, resilience, understanding different cultures, prioritizing career trajectory over retention, patience, and scientific understanding of the industry, as well as the traits of seeking first to understand and being curious.



Takeaways

* Leadership is about empowering others and giving away power.
* Curiosity and a love of learning are critical traits for success in leadership. Leadership is about developing people and creating value
* Resilience is essential for navigating constant change and reinvention
* Understanding and adapting to different cultures is crucial for effective leadership
* The trajectory of a person's career is more important than retention
* Effective leaders need to be patient and have a scientific understanding of the industry
* Seeking first to understand and being curious are key traits for the next generation of leaders

The conversation covers Jorge Reig's career transition from finance to the fresh produce industry, his experience as a managing director, strategic and transformational work, managing teams through change, achieving growth in fresh produce, and his desired legacy and advice for future leaders in the industry. Key takeaways include insights into career transitions and leadership skills.



Takeaways

* Career Transition
* Leadership Skills



Chapters

* 00:00 Career Transition and Fresh Produce
* 16:36 Transition to Managing Director
* 36:04 Strategic and Transformational Work
* 41:28 Managing Teams Through Change
* 53:17 Legacy and Advice for Future Leaders

In this episode of Behind the Fruit, Lucy is joined by CarrieAnn Arias for an honest conversation about stepping into leadership at the very top.

CarrieAnn shares her journey from VP to CEO, what that shift really changes day to day, and how her view of leadership has evolved along the way. They talk openly about leading remote teams, building trust and culture when people aren’t in the same room, and what CEOs are actually responsible for once the title changes.

The conversation also explores how leaders think about hiring, team development, and communication in a remote environment, as well as the role mentorship has played in CarrieAnn’s career and why it matters so much in fresh produce.

This episode is a thoughtful look at leadership in practice — not theory — and what it takes to grow teams, people, and yourself as responsibilities change.

Chapters
- 00:00 Building Remote Work Culture
- 28:44 Remote Team Communication and Training with DISC Profiling
- 34:38 Hiring and Team Building Strategies
- 43:19 Recruiting and Talent Acquisition