<p><strong>Charlotte, N.C</strong><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Chiquita Brands International Inc., has announced the appointment of Edward F. Lonergan as President and Chief Executive Officer earlier today.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"We are extremely pleased to announce that, after a thorough search process, the Board has chosen Ed Lonergan as its next President and Chief Executive Officer," says Kerrii B. Anderson, Chiquita's Chairwoman. "Ed brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across many industries, and is widely recognized as an outstanding business leader with an impressive track record of success. Ed's leadership and operational expertise ideally suit him to lead Chiquita in its next phase of growth. I look forward to working closely with Ed as we continue to execute our strategic priorities and create stockholder value."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Lonergan has also been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to lead Chiquita, a Company with strong equity and high-quality products. Chiquita has a solid foundation on which to build, and an excellent team in place that is well equipped to take the necessary steps to drive change and enhance operations. I am committed to working closely with the Board, management team and talented employees to continue the Company's financial and strategic turnaround aimed at refocusing and re-energizing the core business and driving down costs. We believe this strategy will allow Chiquita to enhance its competitive position and further align its operations and investments to increase profitability, improve cash flow, reduce debt and drive long-term shareholder value," says Lonergan.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.chiquita.com" target="_new"> Chiquita </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
