Day in the life… of Senior Grower Accountant, Mai Saelee
Born in Thailand, Mai moved to the United States when she was six years old and currently lives in Visalia, CA. She majored in criminology at California State University but ultimately decided the field was not for her and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. “You can say what I currently do at Oppy is somewhat like forensic accounting,” she joked.
Before joining us in 2012, Mai worked at a CPA firm then in her first produce role, at a cherry brim company which brines the fruit before it’s turned into a variety of cocktail cherries . “It was a revelation knowing there are so many varieties of cherries and that was just a glimpse into the produce industry. From there I knew I wanted to continue working in produce,” she said. When she saw an opportunity at our Visalia office, she quickly jumped on it.
A typical day for Mai is spent reviewing and approving grower documents as well as overseeing grape, berry and stone fruit deal admin duties for the office. She works closely with Oppy’s category financial analysts and category directors to ensure grower requests are being met.
Mai and her husband of six years have two children together among her big family of eight siblings. They regularly gather as a family saying, “It’s never quiet when we’re all together!” They love to travel and have a bucket list of countries they are checking off.
Enjoying the work at Oppy because she learns something new each day, Mai looks forward to the company continuing to grow in the future.
