John Anderson Oppy

Oppy’s top executive John Anderson has been named to the elite roll of Canada’s Most Admired chief executives of 2017.

Anderson, the fresh produce company’s chairman, president and CEO, was chosen by Waterstone Human Capital and MacKay CEO Forums – leading Canadian executive development firms – from a field of company leaders working throughout Canada.

Anderson was specifically selected for fostering a culture at Oppy that enhances performance and sustains a competitive advantage.

During Anderson’s near-quarter century at the company’s helm, Oppy has grown to close to US$1bn and achieved, with very few exceptions, year-on-year record earnings.

Anderson credits the company’s success to the combination of its collaborative strategic planning process and Oppy’s 'expect the world from us' promise, which he introduced about 15 years ago.

“It’s exciting and humbling to be recognised in this way,” Anderson said. “Good leadership takes strategy – and stamina! But both our culture and our bottom line are consistently strengthened by a committed team that knows how to execute on the brand promise and works diligently each day toward clear goals. Together we’ve transformed Oppy into a high-performing, successful enterprise.”

As a result, Oppy – whose rich traditions and values have been preserved by Anderson as he progressed the company forward during his 43-year tenure – celebrates its 160th anniversary in 2018.