On December 18, 2025, Mission Produce, Inc. (the ?Company?) announced the following changes to the Company?s management and Board of Directors (?Board?). John M. Pawlowski, the Company?s current President and Chief Operating Officer, will be appointed the Company?s President and Chief Executive Officer effective immediately following the 2026 Annual Meeting of the stockholders of the Company on April 9, 2026 (the ?Effective Time?). Stephen J. Barnard, who has served as the Company?s Chief Executive Officer since 1988, will transition to Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company (the ?Board?) at the Effective Time, replacing Stephen A. Beebe as Chairman of the Board.
Mr. Beebe informed the Board that he will resign from his positions of Director and Chairman of the Board effective as of the Effective Time. Mr. Beebe?s resignation from the Board is not due to any disagreement with the Company or the Board on any matter relating to the Company?s operations, policies, or practices. Linda B. Segre will serve as Lead Independent Director as of the Effective Time, and Bonnie Lind will not be standing for re-election at the Company?s 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Mr. Pawlowski has served as our President and Chief Operating Officer since April 2024. Previously, he served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Lipari Foods, a nationwide food distributor, from October 2021 to December 2023. Prior to this, he served as a president of TriMark USA, a leading foodservice supply company, from January 2019 to September 2021.
Mr. Pawlowski also served in various roles of increasing responsibility at The J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM), a manufacturer of food and beverage products, from May 2002 to December 2019. Mr. Pawlowski holds a B.S. from Miami University and an Executive MBA from Kent State. There are no related party transactions between the Company and Mr. Pawlowski that would require disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
