The Florida’s Natural Growers, Inc. Story

Working for a farmer-owned cooperative with a 90 year history across 6 generations of Florida farmer families is a great honor for Chris, and working on a Challenger Brand that thrives by thinking and doing things differently than big corporate competitors is a huge motivator for him.

He became our Chief Operating Officer in late 2019, having previously served in Florida’s Natural Sales and Marketing leadership roles for 8 years. Prior to joining Florida’s Natural, Chris worked in marketing for more than a decade at other successful Challenger companies.

In his free time, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and 3 children, reading, working out, and traveling.

Favorite Florida’s Natural Beverage: Coral Reef Orange Juice

Accepting an executive leadership role at Florida’s Natural Growers is a privilege for Katherine, who maintains deep-rooted connections to Florida spanning over 30 years. Her recent appointment as CFO underscores a personal dedication to the company’s growth and the enduring legacy of the Florida citrus industry.

Shaped by a military family upbringing that instilled adaptability, Katherine is a seasoned executive with over 15 years of leadership in consumer-packaged goods (CPG), beverage, and private brands. Katherine’s steadfast commitment to fostering professional development and team building is evident in her passion for cultivating outstanding teams and driving continuous improvement and growth. Beyond her executive responsibilities, she is an enthusiastic traveler who enjoys exploring the great outdoors through activities like hiking, skiing, and boating.

Family remains the cornerstone of Katherine’s priorities, and she deeply values every moment spent with her son, husband, and extended family in the Tampa Bay area.

Favorite Florida’s Natural Beverage: Coral Reef Orange Juice

Barbara McCartney is a commercial leader with a passion for wellness. She joined Florida’s Natural in 2024 as the Chief Growth Officer and is delighted to be part of a mission-based company focused on bringing the goodness of nature to homes everywhere.

Barbara has held Marketing, Innovation and General Management roles for leading consumer products companies including Nestle, Pillsbury, Quaker, and Unilever. She has also been a leader in highly agile organizations including a culinary centric food innovation firm and a pioneering nutritional health startup.

Barbara grew up in Chicago and earned an MBA and a BS in Psychology from Northwestern University. Outside of work, she serves on the board of an executive leadership organization and enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. As a true Foodie, she loves discovering new foods, recipes, and restaurants.

I come from a Midwestern farming family, but I grew up all over the United States.  I graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Biochemistry and later earned an MBA in Finance from Indiana University. My parents live on the family farm in Northeastern Illinois, where they grow corn and soybeans and raise laying hens under the watchful eyes of their two donkeys.

My career began in the food ingredients industry, with 25 years in various R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, and General Management roles.  During that time, I also led global Agribusiness activities, including commodities trading and hedging, Sustainable Agriculture, and developing novel varieties of corn, potato, cassava, and stevia on five continents.  This gave me the chance to work with farmers all over the world, something I find truly engaging and rewarding. In 2019, I took a Supply Chain leadership role in the beverage manufacturing industry, working with some amazing people in a fast-paced environment.

I joined Florida’s Natural Growers, Inc., in 2023 as Vice President, Supply Chain.  In this role, I am responsible for Planning, Procurement, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Logistics.  The opportunity to bring my experiences back to a grower-owned organization with deep agricultural roots is very appealing to me.

My family and I moved to Florida in 2018 and have enjoyed living in the Sunshine State.  We like to spend time with friends, cooking and travelling, hiking and playing with our three dogs and one cat. 

My favorite Florida’s Natural Beverage is Coral Reef Orange Juice.

After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in Chemistry/Zoology and a focus on Forensic Toxicology, Sean started his first job at a small citrus cooperative named Citrus World where he was responsible for the development of the Fresh N Natural product line that
later evolved into the Florida’s Natural brand. After five years at Citrus World, Sean left and continued his career with Lykes Pasco where he served as Vice President of Innovation & Quality. After selling to venture capital groups, Pasco was split into two companies. Vitality Foodservice and Pasco Beverage Company. Sean continued in Senior management roles under this ownership and was responsible for not only QA and Innovation but also Packaging and Dispenser Development. Under Sean’s leadership, Vitality Food Service
flourished, creating an international presence and plants across the USA, Canada, and the EU. Nestle’ eventually acquired Vitality Foodservice and Sean was asked to relocate to Orbe, Switzerland to lead Global R&D for Nestle Professional in Nestle’s newly created System Technology Center.

Sean oversaw a team that designed and built new dispense platforms and their products for Nestle worldwide including both hot and cold beverages. Many of the dispensers used across the globe dispensing both coffee, chocolate, tea and juice were developed under Sean’s leadership. After his stint in Switzerland, he was asked to return to the USA to lead operations for Nestle Professional Beverage. Sean left Nestle in 2018 to start his own business. In 2019, he was asked to join the Florida’s Natural Team as Vice President Technical Services where he leads a talented team and oversees Procurement, Quality Assurance, Research and Development etc.

Christina Gasperino has been with Florida’s Natural Growers, Inc. since January 2021 as their Vice President of Human Resources. She is a senior Human Resources leader who has shaped high-performing cultures at major brands within the Fortune 100. She is an innovative and collaborative Operational and Talent Leader with over 25 years of experience in small, mid, and large-size organizations in variety of industries, including General Electric, Coca-Cola and Johnson & Johnson. Christina has an extensive background in strategy development, business and culture transformation, change management, shared service delivery design, and shared services execution, operational excellence & continuous improvement initiatives, and mergers/acquisitions.

Favorite Florida’s Natural Beverage: Coral Reef Orange Juice

I grew up in Lancaster PA, where most of my immediate family still resides.  My wife and I moved to Florida in 2017 so I could begin my new job leading the marketing function at Florida’s Natural Growers.  I graduated from Northeastern University in Boston and completed my MBA at Boston University.

I also worked in marketing at various other consumer packaged goods companies including:
Friendly’s Ice Cream Corporation
Hershey Foods
Kraft Heinz
Mrs. T’s Pierogies

My wife and I have two grown sons.  Our eldest is a lawyer in California and our youngest lives in Colorado and works in supply planning.

Living and working in Florida has been a real pleasure.  We’ve met many interesting people and made life-long friends.  The year-round Florida sunshine is great for outdoor activities and growing delicious, sweet oranges.  I try to run four or five days a week and spend most Sunday mornings playing golf with a few neighbors.

Working for a citrus cooperative is fun and enriching.  I’m surrounded by smart, hard-working professionals who are dedicated to supporting our Florida growers.  It’s a most rewarding place to work.

FNG is known for citrus juices, but we also produce lemonades, splashes and other fruit drinks.  My favorite is Florida’s Natural orange juice with pulp.

Bill Holland is the Vice President of Sales at Florida’s Natural Growers and leads the FNG At-Home Sales, Away-From-Home Sales and International Sales divisions. Bill previously served as FNG’s Director of At-Home Sales. Prior to joining FNG, Bill worked in sales at Kellogg Foods and Coca-Cola.

Hailing from a family with strong ancestral ties to farming, Ashok Narayan has a profound appreciation for the rich history of Florida’s citrus industry and the vital role our organization has played as a cornerstone of Florida agriculture for over eight decades.

Ashok’s career spans more than two decades in the technology sector, where he has worked across multiple industries and platforms with diverse experience gained through leadership roles at Fortune 10 companies like AT&T, mid-sized enterprises, and innovative startups. He is dedicated to leveraging his extensive background to drive innovation and efficiency throughout FNG, honoring the company’s storied legacy while propelling it into the future through strategic technological advancements.

Family is Ashok’s foundation, shaping his approach to work and life. He enjoys traveling, hiking, and solving escape rooms with his wife and two sons. An avid reader and tennis player, Ashok also follows a wide range of sports.

Favorite Florida’s Natural Beverage: Coral Reef Orange Juice