WENATCHEE, WA - We’ve watched the journey of Stemilt for many years now, and we couldn’t be more excited to share with the industry who will follow in the footsteps of Roger Pepperl—who announced his retirement from the company in November. Brianna Shales, current Senior Marketing Manager, will take on the role of Marketing Director starting January 1, 2021.
Right after graduating from Washington State University, Brianna joined the Stemilt team as a Communications Specialist. Two years later, she became Communications Manager in 2010, after which she was promoted to Senior Marketing Manager in 2019. Throughout her time with Stemilt, Brianna has been a driving force behind many of Stemilt’s World Famous brands, including Rushing Rivers® pears and Stemilt’s newest proprietary apple variety, Rave®.
“Brianna was the obvious choice when it came to who would be the next Marketing Director for Stemilt,” explained Roger. “The produce world is changing rapidly, and she displays the ability to adapt and implement what is needed to keep our brand World Famous. Brianna is instrumental in brand development, communications, digital marketing, and most recently, in our data program. Understanding data and what it represents is a real skill and she portrays that time and time again for our retail partners.”
According to a press release, Brianna has taken digital marketing in stride, implementing video and digital content into the company’s everyday marketing and communication strategies.
“Brianna led Stemilt’s charge in the digital marketing transition,” Roger continued. “She understands the importance of this type of content and what is needed to ensure Stemilt’s story is heard and our brands are seen, recognized and trusted.”
Brianna has never shied away from learning all she can about the industry. She is a current Marketing/Communications Committee Co-Chair for Produce for Better Health, and also sits on United Fresh’s Produce Marketing and Merchandising Council, as well as the Produce Marketing Association’s Product Identification Committee.
“Brianna’s dedication and passion for the industry is apparent in her commitment to cultivating people and delighting the consumer,” Roger concluded. “She demonstrates Stemilt’s cultural norms on a daily basis, leads by example, is creative and innovative, and able to connect with her teammates. I could not be more proud to pass the baton to Brianna. She is more than deserving, extremely capable, and will continue to build Stemilt’s World Famous legacy.”
We wish Brianna the best of the luck in this new position and can’t wait to see where she takes the Pepperl legacy!
