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Tropical Cheese, the leading producer of Hispanic dairy and refrigerated foods in the Eastern United States, has announced a significant addition to its executive suite with the appointment of Ivonne Balsinde as Chief Growth Officer (CGO).

The strategic hire brings over two decades of commercial and marketing experience to the company, signalling a clear intent to accelerate market expansion and build a multi-channel growth engine across the U.S. and broader international territories.

Executive Profile and Track Record

Balsinde joins Tropical Cheese with a formidable résumé in the CPG sector, characterised by a focus on innovation pipelines and cross-border commercialisation.

• Recent Role: Served as Global VP, Marketing & Business Development at Matosantos International Corporation, where she managed marketing and innovation for a $100M+ multi-category portfolio.

• Kellogg Tenure: Spent 13 years in leadership roles at Kellogg, overseeing categories across the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean. Her specific mandates included Breakfast Category Director for Foodservice/Away From Home and Snacks Category Director in Mexico.

• Early Career: Held senior marketing positions at Casa Grande Interactive, IVB, and Kimberly-Clark.

Strategic Mandate

In her new capacity, Balsinde is tasked with sharpening the company’s go-to-market engine. Her remit includes driving the innovation pipeline, optimising pricing and trade strategy, and ensuring cross-functional alignment to support the company's ambitious scaling targets.

Vic Mehren, CEO of Tropical Cheese, commented on the appointment: "Ivonne is an innovator with a strong track record of turning consumer and customer insights into commercial execution that drives real growth. Tropical Cheese is at an important point in our journey. We have a strong foundation, and a big opportunity ahead to expand our footprint, deepen partnerships with customers, and accelerate our growth with a stronger, more connected go-to-market engine."

Corporate Context

Founded in 1982, Tropical Cheese has established itself as the category leader in Hispanic cheeses across the Eastern U.S. The company is currently backed by Avance Investment Management and AUA Private Equity, institutional support that is driving this new phase of professionalisation and expansion.

Ivonne Balsinde stated: "Tropical Cheese is a category leader with high-quality, loved products and a deep commitment to the customers and communities it serves. That's a strong foundation for long-term success. I'm looking forward to partnering with the team to strengthen innovation, accelerate growth, and build a repeatable playbook across channels and markets."