Gordon Robertson has spent over 30 years of his career architecting global awareness for products and driving supplier initiatives that delivered a marked impact to companies’ profitability and bottom line. He spent 20+ years at the Campbell Soup Company, 10 years in agriculture marketing and operations with Sun World International, 7 years in biotechnology with Apeel, and most recently at Verdant Technologies as the President and CEO.
ArchPoint has collaborated with Gordon as a client for years and now as part of our team, he leverages his expertise in sales, marketing, supply chain operations, and general management to help organizations drive transformational change.
One of your first jobs was working on a dairy and wheat farm in Colorado — a job that you seemed to have loved. What did you learn during that time that you’ve stayed connected to throughout your career?
I learned the value of hard work, which instilled in me a strong work ethic. If I didn’t do my tasks every day, no one else would, and the things I cared for relied on me for their survival. I came to deeply appreciate the importance of understanding the entire process behind bringing food to market — it frankly still blows my mind. It instilled in me a deep respect for the agricultural community and the challenges they faced. This connection to the land and the people who cultivate it has remained with me throughout my career, reminding me that every decision we make in the supply chain impacts the real lives and livelihoods of the people who are responsible for feeding our country and the world.
Before joining ArchPoint, you were on executive teams for various types of companies — from Campbell’s, a 150+ year old company, to biotechnology startups. Can you talk about how the leadership approach differs based on where a company is in its lifecycle?
As leaders we evolve, learn, and adapt to what our business and people need. Leadership approaches are not one size fits all and we must tailor them to our people and where the company sits in its lifecycle. In established companies, like Campbell’s, the focus is often on optimizing existing processes, creating incremental improvements, and growing and/or maintaining market share. In contrast, startups require agility and an innovative mindset, where experimentation and rapid iteration are crucial. Leaders in startups must foster a culture of adaptability and resilience, while those in mature companies need to balance innovation with the stability.
You’ve had an interesting career centered around food — two decades in packaged food at Campbell’s and over a decade in fresh produce at SunWorld, Apeel, and Verdant Technologies. What are some similarities and differences you’ve seen between these two sectors?
Both worlds share a common goal: delivering quality food to consumers. However, the fresh produce sector is very dynamic and influenced by factors like mother nature, seasonality, and perishability. In packaged food, there’s often more control over the supply chain and product consistency. In contrast, fresh produce requires a more responsive approach to changing conditions, speed of decision-making, and emphasizing the need for innovation, in preservation and distribution methods.
At Apeel, you quadrupled revenue and positioned the company for exponential growth, and at Verdant Technologies, you took a 20-year-old R&D company and launched it into the marketplace during the thick of COVID. What were the key factors that made these transformations successful?
The growth at Apeel was driven by a combination of innovative technologies that extended the shelf life of produce and created a strong market demand for sustainable solutions that addressed food loss and the shrinking from farm-to-table. We faced many challenges such as scaling production, resistance to change by our customers, and navigating grower and retailer relationships. By focusing on collaboration, learning, and education, we were able to overcome many of these hurdles and position ourselves for significant growth.
Launching Verdant Technologies during COVID was both challenging and more importantly one of the most rewarding experiences. The pandemic highlighted the vulnerabilities in our food supply chains and the need for security of supply with the additional hurdle of having to do much of the work with our customers and vendors remotely — a completely new way of conducting business. We had to pivot quickly, as we went from being a purely scientific organization to a commercial business. We leveraged new channels for outreach, education, and recruitment. It was a testament to the resilience of our team, our problem-solving skills, and the importance of innovation in addressing market opportunities.
The produce industry, one of the oldest industries in the world, faces unique challenges today, including consolidation, scaling, and supply chain disruptions. How do you view these shifts, and what steps can companies take to reduce risk?
The produce industry, while rooted in deep traditions and legacy, often faces resistance to change due to the complexities involved and the skill sets required to address these opportunities. The current challenges, such as consolidation, scaling, and shifting consumer preferences, necessitate adaptation.
Embracing innovation and fostering a culture of continuous improvement will be crucial for the industry to thrive in the future.
Consolidation, in particular, presents both significant opportunities and risks. Among the risks are increased vulnerability to supply chain disruptions, quality control issues, labor challenges, and stagnation in innovation when the focus shifts to short-term goals. As companies scale, it becomes essential to maintain focus on supply chain optimization, sustainability, innovation, customer engagement, and transparency. The challenge will be balancing cost with the need for resilience in the supply chain.
To reduce risks from supply chain disruptions, companies should diversify their supplier base to mitigate risks associated with reliance on a single source. Further, implementing robust contingency planning and investing in technology can help mitigate or identify potential disruptions early. Lastly, building strong relationships with your customers and suppliers while fostering honest collaboration across the supply chain is essential for resilience and long-term health of the business.
The word “transformation” seems to be an important concept to you – in how organizations define changes they want to make and plans on how to grow. Can you share what this concept means to you and how it applies to driving transformational change in supply chains?
Transformation is about fundamentally rethinking how we operate and deliver value. It means embracing change, whether through technology, processes, or culture. As we think about transformation, it is imperative as leaders to look across the spectrum of the supply chain and our go-to-market strategy and evaluate and prioritize where we invest to maximize the potential impact for our business and our customers.
For me, it’s crucial because the pace of change in the industry is accelerating, and organizations that resist transformation risk becoming obsolete. Embracing a transformative mindset allows companies to adapt, innovate, and thrive while managing the details of the business in an ultra-competitive marketplace.
What do you see in the industry as the biggest opportunities in supply chains and for creating new economic value upstream?
One of the biggest opportunities lies in leveraging technology to enhance transparency and the development of profit pools for growers, suppliers, and partners upstream in the supply chain. There’s significant potential in investing in new technologies that enhance productivity while minimizing environmental impact. By focusing upstream, companies can create profit pools that can be reinvested in growth, driving new economic value while meeting the growing customer and consumer demand for innovative, sustainable products.
At Verdant, one of our most innovative solutions involved reimagining how the molecule 1-MCP was delivered. Instead of relying on costly controlled-atmosphere storage rooms, we printed the molecule onto PET sheets, allowing it to be integrated directly into packing house processes. This innovation opened new opportunities for our customers by making the technology more accessible and cost-effective, creating significant economic value upstream.
Ultimately, it’s about combining new and evolving technologies with efficient delivery systems to create solutions that reduce costs, enhance productivity, and generate measurable ROI for all stakeholders in the supply chain.
When you’re analyzing a value chain, what metrics do you think are the most useful for spotting opportunities for improvement?
Key metrics include labor, inputs, lead time, inventory turnover, shrink levels, and customer satisfaction scores. Analyzing these metrics can reveal inefficiencies and areas for improvement. Additionally, tracking sustainability metrics, such as carbon footprint and resource usage, is increasingly important for aligning with consumer expectations and regulatory requirements.
What advice do you have for leaders – in the produce industry or otherwise – who seek to take their organizations through transformational change?
Leadership, frankly, is living by example. You have to embody the things that you want your organization to be about and live them on a daily basis. Your people are watching you all the time to see if you’re going to be true to the principles you decide to bring forward. It all starts with you.
My advice is to cultivate a culture of collaboration and accountability. Engage your team in the transformation process and encourage them to share ideas and feedback. Set clear goals and communicate the vision for change effectively. Lastly, be prepared to iterate and adapt your approach as you learn from the process what is or isn’t working.
Transformation is a journey, not a destination.
What’s something your colleagues would be surprised to learn about you?
Many of my colleagues might be surprised to learn that I have a passion for food and the experiences with people it creates. I believe that cooking is both an art and a science, connecting us to the stories behind the dishes and the people we share them with and learn from. It’s a reminder to me that in life and in my career, I have always strived – to bring quality food to people’s tables.