Apr 16, 2019

Fall Creek hires Europe regional director

Fall Creek Farm & Nursery has hired Bertrand Guély as a regional director, responsible for directing the company’s blueberry nursery and genetics business throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Fall Creek nursery was founded 40 years ago by the Brazelton family in Lowell, Oregon, but is now an international firm with a Fall Creek’s mission to enrich the expanding blueberry industry Guély’s region.

“I see many opportunities for market growth into new countries as awareness of the health benefits and great taste of blueberries continues to grow,” Guély said in a news release. “Fall Creek is a worldwide leader in blueberry genetics, plants and grower support, so I was very excited to join the team. My biggest challenge will be to position the European team to move at the same speed as the growing market, to prioritize our customers’ needs and opportunities in various areas within Europe.”

He is a native French and Spanish speaker, is fluent in English and speaks basic Russian. Guély has spent most of his career in the fresh fruits and vegetables business, including 20 years with major retail companies. For the past six years, he has held leadership positions at Compagnie Fruitière in France and Spain. Most recently, he was vice president of all group sales and a member of the board, then became vice president of purchasing and quality, with responsibilities both in Europe and Africa. Previously, Guély was category director of fruits and vegetables, flowers and plants at X5 Retail Group in Russia.

He and his local teams in countries including The Netherlands, Italy, Poland, and Spain will serve Fall Creek’s dynamic customer base with solutions for establishing, growing, and selling high-quality blueberries. He is based in Seville, Spain, and reports to President and Chief Operating Officer Oscar Verges.

“Bertrand is an experienced executive with a long history of working with commercial growers throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa,” says Verges. “He has a relentless focus on customer needs, product quality assurance, and operational excellence in execution, which makes him a great fit for Fall Creek.”