The new Advisory Board of Patatas Meléndez will be chaired by Ignacio González, former CEO of Nueva Pescanova.

The Advisory Board, which is headed by Javier Meléndez, aims to provide expert advice to the company in order to strengthen its leading position in the domestic market and boost its expansion abroad.

Patatas Meléndez, a leading company in the fresh potato sector in Spain, with more than 25 years of experience and a firm commitment to innovation and sustainability, has announced the creation of an Advisory Board made up of professionals of recognised prestige in different areas of activity that will be chaired by Ignacio González, ex CEO of Grupo Nueva Pescanova and Independent Director of Grupo Pascual. The Advisory Board aims to provide an external and strategic vision to the company’s management, as well as to advise the company on key issues such as internationalisation, digitalisation, social responsibility and talent management.

Boosting the foreign market

With this initiative, Patatas Meléndez aims to reinforce its leading position in the domestic market and boost its expansion abroad, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the agri-food sector. The aforementioned Board started work on 1 January 2024 and is led by Javier Meléndez, CEO of the company.

Its members include Julio Audicana, deputy director general of San Telmo Business School and professor specialising in retail and food service. Throughout his career, Audicana has been part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and has participated in meetings of the European Commission’s High Level Group on the competitiveness of the European agri-food industry.

José Antonio Latre, with more than 30 years of experience in the consulting sector, is a partner at EY-Parthenon and focuses on retail and consumer strategy. He has previously held this position in other large multinational companies such as PwC and KPMG, and is focused on boosting the competitiveness of his clients and teams.

Bill Derrenger, a retail executive and Senior Advisor to several companies, is also a member of the Board. Derrenger has led companies such as Kellogg Company and Grupo Osborne, and has worked in 11 different countries on projects related to brand development, innovation and customer and distributor loyalty.

Pedro Gato is a partner in Parangon Partners and an independent director in numerous companies such as Rodman Boats and Metalships & Docks S.A.U. In addition, Pedro Gato has served as director of the retail division of Hilti and as operations director of Cemusa.

Patatas Meléndez, market share leader in Spain

It is worth remembering that Grupo Empresarial Meléndez, which closed the previous financial year with a turnover of 120 million, has a 20% market share in the fresh potato sector. Amongst its next objectives are to diversify its export destinations and enter more countries in Northern and Eastern Europe, as well as optimising all the innovations in the new factory to achieve total quality.

Finally, Javier Meléndez expressed his pride in having this new advisory body: “At Patatas Meléndez we are convinced that all the professionals on the Advisory Board will actively contribute to the company facing the challenges and opportunities that arise in the fresh potato sector thanks to their global and strategic vision. Their work will be fundamental in consolidating our leadership position”.