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Ben Vallejo and Jim Leach promoted to new leadership roles

Oppy has elevated two sales stand-outs, Ben Vallejo and Jim Leach, from management roles to director level responsibilities.

Vallejo, who celebrates his 25^th anniversary with the leading grower, marketer and distributor this year, has been promoted to director, West Coast sales. He initially joined Oppy in quality control, moving into sales about a decade later, and going on to service several Oppy key accounts while also building Western U.S. distribution of kiwifruit and citrus, among other items. Most recently, Vallejo managed the sales efforts of Oppy’s California offices; he now leads the entire West Coast sales team.

Leach, whose career at Oppy has been briefer but well-rounded, has advanced to the role of director, foodservice and Southwest sales. Leach joined the company as a business development representative in 2016, moving quickly into sales and sales management, showing a flair for foodservice alongside his recent leadership of Oppy’s Mexican grape program. In his new role, Leach will lead sales efforts for Oppy’s Nogales and Houston offices and oversee its overall foodservice strategy.

“It’s an honor to announce these promotions,” said Brett Libke, Oppy’s senior vice president of sales. “Ben and Jim are talented sales leaders who have earned the respect of their peers within Oppy and throughout the industry through their produce expertise and hard work. I know our business is in good hands with them, and I’m excited to watch it grow under their stewardship.”

Vallejo and Leach’s roles are complemented by Daniel Sebetic, their counterpart as Oppy’s director of sales, East Coast, and Colbert Rahal, sales director, Canada.

“We’ve created a balanced structure to best serve our wide network of valued customers across North America,” Libke summed up. “And now, with a dedicated focus on foodservice alongside our retail business, we can fine tune our service approach in key areas, like avocados, tomatoes, grapes, citrus and more.”