Calavo Growers names finance veteran new board chair

Global avocado producer and distributor Calavo Growers has named a finance industry expert as its new board chair.

Farha Aslam is managing partner at Crescent House Capital, an investment and strategic advisory firm she founded that focuses on the agriculture, energy and food processing industries.

Aslam, who has worked in the finance industry since 1996, previously served as managing director at Stephens Inc., where she led the firm’s food and agribusiness equity research team.

“I am honored to serve as chair of Calavo Growers, and I appreciate the opportunity to play an integral role in this 100-year-old company,” Aslam said in a news release. “Calavo has a heritage of leadership in the avocado industry, and today it is capitalizing on its position in this attractive category with robust consumer demand.”
Outgoing chair Steven Hollister will remain on the company’s board, where he has served since 2008.

“Farha has my full support,” Hollister said. “She is an astute leader and brings the perspective of an investor and a Wall Street analyst to the table, which is good for the board, good for Calavo’s leadership team and good for investors.”

Aslam previously served as a vice president at Merrill Lynch and a risk management advisor at UBS.