Barendrecht, 10 November 2023 - The Greenery has appointed David Markowski (37) as its new chief executive officer (CEO). In this he succeeds Steven Martina, who left for Zespri in August. David Markowski has been with The Greenery in various executive roles since November 2019. During this period, David held the roles of Director of Growers and Group Strategy Director. As Group Strategy Director, David is one of the driving forces transforming The Greenery into a future-proof company and was the driver behind the long-term Focus 2025 strategy that was developed since its inception.
Stronger competitive position and maximum value creation for our growers
David: "I am very much looking forward to ensuring the successful rollout of Focus 2025 in this role, with the aim of establishing a stronger competitive position and maximum value creation for our growers. The ‘field-to-fork’ chain has developed rapidly in recent years, putting pressure on margins and partnerships within the chain itself. As a management team, we want to transform The Greenery into a flatter, more agile organisation that is better suited to the challenging landscape of the fruit and vegetable chain.
The Greenery plays a crucial role as a representative of the source of produce. Not only for the growers but for end consumers, too, given that product availability with the right price-quality ratio is only set to become more challenging in the future. I am convinced that with the further roll-out of the Focus 2025 strategy, we will make a future-proof organisation that adds great value within the chain."
Transformation experience in various leadership positions
David previously held several management roles before joining The Greenery, including various European roles at telecom provider Liberty Global, within ABN AMRO’s M&A team, and as COO at the digital media agency 9024 Media. Within these various roles he led transformations and supervised business takeover processes. Furthermore, these roles allowed David to demonstrate that he is able to accelerate the transformation of an organisation and adapt it to changing circumstances by working from a clear vision and applying steady, hands-on leadership.
Niels Zuurbier, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of The Greenery U.A.: "David has gained a lot of experience within our company, our chain and among our members through his final responsibilities in HR, Strategy and Growers. Combined with his strong leadership and strategic vision, we are convinced he is the right person to lead our organisation, with the implementation of the Focus 2025 strategy, into the future and continued success. A Greenery that is even more agile, competitive and successful. And thereby ensuring maximum value creation for our growers."