Bryan Barsness, a seasoned leader with a wealth of experience in agriculture, food technology, and business operations, has been appointed business development director at Prophet. In his new role, Barsness will drive continued growth and innovation for Prophet ERP’s cutting-edge solutions tailored to the produce and agricultural industries.

"Joining Prophet ERP is an incredible opportunity to bring a groundbreaking, custom-tailored solution to the produce and agricultural industries," said Barsness. "I'm excited to work alongside such a talented team, leveraging leading technology to help

Michael Maxwell, president of Procacci Bros., is retiring after an extraordinary 43 years of dedicated service. A true pillar of the Procacci family of companies, Maxwell’s impact is immeasurable.

Michael Eugene (Mike) Alise, a cherished figure in the Gulf Coast community and a leader in the produce and logistics industries, died Jan. 7 at Lighthouse Memory Care in Ocean Springs, MS. He was 65.

Born Oct. 16, 1959, in Lutcher, LA, Mr. Alise was the son of Anthony Alise Sr. and Shirley Alise. He graduated from East Ascension High School and soon began building a legacy of excellence in business and service. Mr. Alise’s entrepreneurial journey began with Gulf Coast Produce in 1995, later expanding his ventures with GCIC (Gulf Coast International Cargo) in 2004 and Panama Blue Spring Water

Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. announced the appointment of Jason Potter as the company’s president and CEO, effective Feb. 3. Potter will also join the company’s board of directors.

Potter is a seasoned CEO, bringing more than 30 years of grocery retail experience and a track record of driving earnings growth and shareholder value. He joins Grocery Outlet from The Fresh Market, a specialty grocery retailer of fresh, gourmet food and prepared meals, where he has served as CEO and a board member since March 2020. During his tenure, Potter led the successful transformation of that business

Venessa Yates has been named the new president and CEO of Walmart Canada. Gonzalo Gebara, the current Walmart president and CEO, will be leaving the company at the end of February after a 25-year career at the company.

Yates has worked with Walmart since 2016, most recently serving as the senior vice president and general manager of Walmart+, the company’s membership program.

“Venessa is a tremendous retail leader with experience in multiple countries and functions,” said Guilherme Loureiro, regional CEO, Walmart Canada, Chile, Mexico and Central America. “She is the right person to continue

The U.S. Apple Association announced the newest members of its leadership development program, the NextGen Apple Fellowship. Seven fellows from across the country have been selected to participate in the 2025 class: Julieta Castillo of Superfresh Growers, Zachary Cohen of Cohen Produce Marketing, William Gant of CMI Orchards, Theresa Kober of Riveridge Produce Marketing, Tyler Mooney of Stemilt Growers, Shelbi Perkins of BeeHero and Marshall Saunders of Saunders Bros.

The NextGen Apple Fellowship focuses on hands-on experience with legislative and regulatory issues, professional development