Calavo Growers Appoints Board Member as Interim CFO

Calavo Growers Inc. announced Thursday the departure of Kevin Mannion, chief financial officer.Mannion will leave the Santa Paula avocado and fresh food grower effective July 16.Farha Aslam, a financial expert serving on the Calavo board, will assume the chief financial officer position on an interim basis as the company looks for a permanent replacement. The company has engaged an executive search firm to identify candidates for the position.James Gibson, chief executive of the grower, thanked Mannion for his contributions to the company.“He played an integral role in developing and implementing our operational and financial strategy,” Gibson said in a statement. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”Aslam is a founder and managing partner at Crescent House Capital, an investment firm in New York. She currently serves on the Calavo board’s audit, compensation and sustainability committees.“Given (Aslam’s) knowledge of our business, financial acumen and industry expertise, our deep and experienced finance team will have a strong and steady hand to lead them as we continue our search for a new CFO,” Gibson said in his statement.Shares of Calavo (CVGW) closed down Thursday by $1.17, or nearly 2 percent, to $63.50 on the Nasdaq, on a day when that market closed up almost 1 percent.