Profile
W ith a buoyancy and seemingly endless reserve of energy, Elyse Lipman takes great pride in the journey she’s cut out for herself as chief executive of Lipman Family Farms. “I grew up really proud of this company and my grand- father Bill Lipman, but I didn’t necessarily have it in my sights,” says Lipman, who has been at the helm of Lipman since January 2023 when she succeeded Kent Shoemaker following his retirement. Lipman Family Farms was founded as a field-grown to - mato operation in Southwest Florida. Today, it has opera- tions in four countries and partners with a global network of farmers to market quality produce year-round. Lipman joined the company in 2020 as chief strategy officer after being recruited by Shoemaker. “We all are where we are because someone saw us. Kent is a big rea- son why I am here today. Not only did he help me see the real opportunity at Lipman, but he gave me a runway,” she says. In that challenging role, Lipman developed and enhanced the company’s strategy, emphasizing the company’s core values and goals while striving for ongoing expansion. “The board went through an exhaustive search to succeed Kent Shoemaker following his 13-year career as CEO,” says Lipman. “I’m honored to be in the position to work with such a strong team of industry titans. My top four lieutenants have a combined 110 years of industry experience, and we have over 300 employees with over 20 years of tenure with Lipman,” she explains. “Many of these people I’ve known my entire life, and I look forward to continuing building on that.” Lipman Family Farms, which is North America’s largest supplier of tomatoes and fresh vegetables, has a vast glob- With an emphasis on strategy, innovation and technology this CEO is all in on ‘Good from the Ground Up.’ by ELLEN URIBE
Vision Magazine 59
October/November 2023
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