In this episode of Behind the Fruit, Lucy Robinson speaks with Kim Chackal, VP of Sales and Marketing and co-owner of Equifruit.

Kim shares how she moved from event planning into fresh produce, and why she chose to channel her career into something with real impact.

They talk about building a Fair Trade banana brand in a category dominated by global players, what it takes to shift retailer behaviour, and how Equifruit’s rebrand changed the trajectory of the business.

The conversation also explores hiring, emotional intelligence, leadership, and why working long hours is not a measure of success.

A thoughtful, honest discussion about purpose, growth, and building a business differently.

In this episode of Behind the Fruit, Lucy Robinson speaks with Patrick Hook, former CEO of AVO America, about leadership across cultures, private equity in agriculture, and why mindset matters more than technical expertise.

Patrick’s career spans forestry, timber private equity, Harvard’s natural resources portfolio, and operational leadership across Chile and Peru. He shares how a solo walk across Italy shaped his career direction, what he learned moving from investment into operating leadership, and how culture and alignment determine whether agricultural assets succeed or struggle.

They discuss:

• Transitioning from private equity to CEO
• Leading when you’re not the technical expert
• Cultural intelligence in global farming operations
• Why ESG is more than a buzzword
• Hiring for mindset in agribusiness
• Building alignment across 60+ employees
• Balancing leadership with nine months of global travel

Patrick’s core message is simple: if you get the people right, everything else follows.

In this episode of Behind the Fruit, Lucy Robinson speaks with John Elliott, Founder of ELR Executive in Sydney, Australia.

With nearly 30 years in executive search across FMCG, fresh produce and food & beverage manufacturing, John shares:

🍏 How executive hiring has evolved over three decades
📦 Why supply chain leadership is now mission-critical in fresh
📊 The commercial shift in founder-led produce businesses
🤝 What separates strong leaders from struggling ones
🧠 Why hiring people better than you is a leadership strength
🤖 How AI is reshaping executive search — and where it won’t replace human judgment

John also reflects on moving from executive search into an $80m FMCG CEO role — and what that experience taught him about leadership, performance, and team building.

This episode is especially relevant for founder-led businesses, commercial leaders in fresh produce, and anyone navigating executive hiring in 2026.

To connect with John:
LinkedIn: John Elliott (ELR Executive)
Website: www.elrexecutive.com.au