Tony Fissette

Known for his commendable work positioning New Zealand apples and pears in the European market, Tony Fissette, managing director of T&G Global’s European unit, Enzafruit Continent, has announced his retirement.

After 45 years in the role, Fissette will pass on his position to Steve Maxwell, chief executive of T&G Global’s UK subsidiary, Worldwide Fruit.

Maxwell has been with Worldwide Fruit for five years and carries 20 years’ experience in the fruit industry.

“I’m incredibly proud to represent some of the finest apples in the world. We have a fantastic basket of varieties including Jazz and Envy,” said Maxwell, “Our aim is to ensure we deliver fantastic service and a fantastic product to our customers and our suppliers year-round.”

Maxwell will have some large shoes to fill, as Fissette’s list of accolades includes the introduction of New Zealand Royal Gala, Braeburn, Jazz and Envy apples into the European market. In 2009, Fissette also celebrated a 100m carton milestone, and in 2018 the team reached 10m cartons sold of the Jazz variety alone.

T&G said in a statement that Fissette has been a wonderful ambassador for its business and wish him a long, healthy and happy retirement.