The upcoming Fresh Summit will be Bryan Silbermann’s last show as CEO of the PMA, as he will retire in January 2017. In this article, Silbermann shares how he got involved with the PMA and where he developed his passion for fresh produce.
Answered a classified job posting
Silbermann was hired in 1983 to provide global perspective to PMA and develop market research. “I answered a classified ad about a job involving technology, information, and international relations,” says Silbermann. “This suited what I thought was my career path at the time. I had no idea it was PMA. I had no understanding of associations. Bob Carey and I hit it off, and I thought I'd be at PMA a few years at most and then move on. As you know, it didn't work out that way. I spent the rest of my career right here.” In 1996, Silberman became PMA President and CEO, succeeding Bob Carey who had been President for 38 years. In 2013, Cathy Burns was hired as PMA President as part of the organization’s leadership succession planning and that’s when Silbermann took the sole title of CEO.
Members’ passion was infectious
While growing up, Silbermann ate plenty of fruits and vegetables. “I’ve always been a healthy eater and my family’s strong roots in the medical community resulted in an emphasis on healthful habits at home. It was our normal way of life,” shared Silbermann. His true passion for fresh produce however came from the organization’s members. “At my first convention in 1983, I saw the energy and dedication, no, devotion, our members had for their businesses and the industry in general. Their passion infected me,” admitted Silbermann.
“Our members and our staff are what I’ve enjoyed most during my time with PMA,” said Silbermann. “The ability to make connections, to help develop people and their careers, to pull the "right" people together to develop consensus on solutions to industry challenges and priorities. It's that. The people and the impact they can have when we all work together.”
Looking back 30 years
“When looking back on the past 30 years, it makes me proud to see how much the industry has changed. When I started in 1983, we did think of this as the U.S. fresh produce industry. But that hasn't been true for some time,” mentioned Silbermann. This industry has become truly global. It is hard to think of any company that isn't touched in some way by international commerce, and we have members in more than 50 countries. Our members market the healthiest and most delicious foods on the planet. They create solutions to industry issues that benefit the entire industry, not just their companies. We have also seen many other changes in the past 30 years: advent and rapid change of many technologies; standardized coding and traceability; food safety understanding, technologies, research, and more; creating the Produce for Better Health Foundation to better communicate with and engage consumers; and more.
Music is another passion
Silbermann is looking forward to real retirement. "I have no plans to consult or work in the produce industry," he shared. "I am going to spend time with my family, hope to do some traveling and devote time to another passion; music." Silbermann is an accomplished drummer and has played with bands and symphony orchestras in the past.
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Bryan Silbermann
PMA