West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
November 17, 2010

Ronnie De La Cruz has joined The Context Network and will serve the firm’s clientele as a Senior Associate. Having worked 20+ years in the fresh produce industry, De La Cruz is actively engaged in consulting, speaking and educational/training endeavors.

Context Partner Mark Nelson said, “Ronnie is a valuable asset to our team. His professional skills in food and agribusiness bring an added dimension to Context’s expertise. He brings with him a broad experience and deep knowledge of the fresh produce supply and distribution channel throughout the retail and food service market segments. We are very pleased to welcome him to our team as we advance our efforts in working with the fresh produce market and the vegetable seed industry.”

A world-class speaker, De La Cruz has presented at venues from Canada to New Zealand to China, where his presentations focus on increasing the quality, supply and profitability of the fresh produce industry. De La Cruz has worked closely with the full range of the fresh produce supply channel from seed companies to growers/shippers to consumers. He has worked to bring new, higher-value products to market in North, Central and South America, the European Union and Africa.

De La Cruz said, “I’ve truly appreciated my association with Context over the past couple of years. As a Senior Associate, I look forward to further advancing our business development services to the fresh produce market segment.” He added, “Context has a deep understanding of the industry and understands both the basic market information and exclusive market insights that best position companies to compete successfully into the future.”

He served as Vice President for the Produce Marketing Association and in senior executive and leadership roles for some of the world’s leading fresh produce companies and organizations. He holds a Masters Degree in Industrial Psychology from San Jose State University in California. De La Cruz, who resides in Salinas, California and New York City, New York, can be reached at ronnie.delacruz@contextnet.com.

The Context Network provides business management and strategy consulting services to the world’s leading agriculture, biotechnology and food companies and government agencies and institutions. Major areas of expertise include strategy, merger and acquisition support, valuation of new technologies, formation of alliances, and market research. The West Des Moines-based firm is composed of a core of professional consultants that is complemented by a network of more than 250 industry and subject-area experts around the world.

Website: http://www.contextnet.com

Published: November 17, 2010