Produce Marketing Association (PMA) has announced that PMA board member and president and CEO of Naturipe Farms will moderate the Fresh Summit Forum for the Future discussion with Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The event will take place on Friday, October 18, 2019 in Anaheim during the third and final Forum for the Future at this year’s Fresh Summit Conference and Expo. Johnson is the chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE) and a co-owner of several sports franchises as well as involvement beyond sports.
Johnson may be best known for his experience on the basketball court. He is a five time NBA champion, three time NBA Finals and League MVP (most valuable player) and an Olympic gold medalist. Johnson was also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 as an individual player and in 2010 as a member of the “Dream Team.” PMA noted that Johnson has spent much of his time off the court translating his winning spirit and tenacity into numerous business endeavors and investing in U.S. infrastructure and technology, becoming one of the leading investors in several minority owned tech companies.
“Earvin “Magic” Johnson has had a tremendous career from the basketball court into the business world and I am thrilled to be asked to moderate a discussion with him at Fresh Summit,” says Dwight Ferguson, president and CEO of Naturipe Farms. “There’s a lot that we can learn about Johnson’s leadership and successes on the court, but I’m really looking forward to speaking about how he has turned that towards his business ventures. PMA is always challenging the industry to think about “what’s next” and Johnson is a great model for anticipating and investing in a changing world.”
In 2018, PMA said it revamped its education lineup to introduce the Forums for the Future. In addition to Johnson and Ferguson’s session on Friday, PMA’s CEO Cathy Burns will deliver her State of the Industry and Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec will speak before a live pitch session co-hosted by SVG Ventures - Thrive. Rounding out the Fresh Summit lineup will be Queen Latifah, who will serve as the Center for Growing Talent’s Women’s Fresh Perspectives Leadership Breakfast speaker. Separate registration is required for the CGT event.
“As we continue to provide more opportunities for Fresh Summit attendees to gain insights and ideas they can apply to their businesses, this year we’re fortunate to be joined by NBA Hall-of-Famer and business leader Earvin “Magic” Johnson,” says PMA CEO Cathy Burns. “Whether on the basketball court or throughout his many business ventures, he knows how to build teams and cultures oriented toward success. I look forward to Dwight leading a conversation that gives the industry immediate takeaways for how to ensure our industry remains adaptive, innovative and purpose-driven.”
For more information:
Cassidy Taylor
Produce Marketing Association
Ph: +1 (302) 781-5852
ctaylor@pma.com
www.pma.com