Middleboro, Mass.-based Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., announced that Bobby J. Chacko will serve as president and chief executive officer (CEO), following an unanimous vote from the board of directors, the company says.

“When we first met Bobby, it quickly became clear we had found what we were looking for: a tremendous leader that could lead the next generation of talent at Ocean Spray,” said Peter Dhillon, chairman of the Ocean Spray Board of Directors, in a statement.

“This announcement is the culmination of more than a year of work by our CEO succession committee. We spent a lot of time evaluating the needs of the business, speaking to stakeholders, and ultimately looked at several candidates both internal and external. Bobby was the clear choice.”

Chacko also was elected to join the Ocean Spray Board of Directors.

“I’m truly honored for the chance to lead this iconic business,” Chacko said. “Since joining Ocean Spray last year, I’ve been so impressed with the people behind the cooperative: 700 family farms and 2,000 colleagues all working together to connect farms and families.”

“Ocean Spray’s story is close to nine decades old but we are just getting started,” he added. “I want to thank the board, growers and my colleagues for giving me the opportunity to write the next chapter with them.”

Chacko replaces outgoing CEO Randy Papdellis, who stepped down in February. BI