Age: 35
Hometown: Woodslee, Ontario, Canada
Hobbies: Traveling, Camping, Spending time with family and friends
Family/Community: Married, 2 daughters
Motto in life: Everything happens for a reason.

Dorner came to the produce industry out of a career in the dental field, heading directly into position in accounts receivable at Mastronardi 13 years ago. She worked her way up to become senior director of corporate and treasury operations and now oversees a growing team of 30. During her time with the company, she has successfully spearheaded new initiatives while effectively driving and maintaining impressive working capital KPIs. In 2018, she was promoted to manager, corporate and treasury operations. In this role, she secured a concrete team, streamlined cash collections, and migrated to electronic transactions and transfers. Her role continued to grow with the business, and she became considered a relevant source for making business decisions.

In 2023, she was promoted to her current role of senior director, corporate and treasury operations. Within this role, she has been able to streamline cash collections by reducing Days Sales Outstanding by eight days and increasing working capital by $50 million. She has become instrumental in leading and managing a supplier credit program to the company’s growing partners. She designed and created a claims department to enhance key reporting and visibility for growth, mitigating losses and recovering dollars for the company. Dorner has also established department procedures, team structure, development, training and technology. She has completed Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) certification and the Food and Agri Executive Management program at Cornell University (2023). For the past five years, she has been a committee member of the IFPA Women’s Fresh Perspectives. She has also initiated Lunch & Learn sessions for Mastronardi Produce’s Women in Leadership.

Q: What attracted you to working in the produce industry?

What attracted me most to the produce industry was its unique blend of challenges and opportunities. There’s always something new and exciting happening in the world of produce. I thoroughly enjoy working in the industry. It is passionate, fast-paced and intriguing. Every day is a new challenge I look forward to embracing.

Q: What do you know now you wish you knew when you first started your career?

Don’t be afraid to fail. Trust your ability to learn the role. Don’t opt out because “you’ve never done that before.” Take the leap and ask for help.

Q: What is the one thing in your business you are most passionate about?

Finding purpose and fulfillment in everything that I do. Making a positive impact on others and the industry.

Q: What would you like consumers to know about the industry?

There is so much effort behind the scenes to ensure the consumer is getting the best experience in quality, color, size, packaging and, of course, flavor.

Q: What advice would you give someone new to the produce industry?

Learn continuously. Stay curious and proactive about learning the ins and outs of the produce industry. Keep ahead of market trends, technological advancements, distribution, sales and best practices. Immerse yourself in the business.

Q: What do you see as a critical issue facing the industry in the next decade and why?

Sustainability. As the global population continues to grow, there will be increasing pressure on the agricultural sector to produce more food while minimizing its environmental footprint.