The Almond Board of California (ABC) announced the appointment of two seasoned leaders to its team: CarmenMaria Navarro as managing director, strategic operations and innovation, and Varun Khanna as senior director, science and innovation. These strategic hires underscore the organization’s commitment to driving global growth and pioneering industry-leading research for California almonds.

“Bringing CarmenMaria and Varun on board represents an investment in the future of the California almond industry. CarmenMaria’s expertise in global brand strategy combined with Varun’s deep scientific and product innovation acumen forms a powerhouse duo,” Clarice Turner, president and CEO, Almond Board of California, said in a statement. “Together, they will be instrumental in driving growth, expanding market opportunities and ensuring our industry remains at the forefront of food and beverage innovation and consumer trends.”

As managing director, strategic operations and innovation, Navarro leads global ingredients strategy and works closely with executive leadership and the Board to drive alignment, prioritization and execution across the organization. She brings more than 20 years of marketing and business leadership, with a proven track record of building brands and leading cross-functional teams at complex global organizations. Prior to joining ABC, Navarro held senior leadership positions at E. & J. Gallo Winery, where she led marketing for a portfolio of brands representing over $500 million in revenue, Kraft Foods and H. J. Heinz. She holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

In his role as senior director, science and innovation, Khanna leads the organization’s comprehensive science and innovation strategy. He oversees core scientific programs spanning production research, nutrition and environmental stewardship, while developing an innovation pipeline to expand almond applications. Khanna brings more than 20 years of experience in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) sector, with leadership positions in product development and innovation at 7-Eleven, Post Holdings, Chobani and PepsiCo. His global background integrates product development, food safety and regulatory compliance, ensuring a rigorous, market-ready approach to innovation. He holds an Executive MBA from Boise State University and a Master of Science in Food Safety and Technology from the Illinois Institute of Technology.