Chiquita names compliance officer

Chiquita names compliance officer Chiquita Brands International Tuesday said it has appointed Vanessa Vargas-Land vice president and chief compliance officer, responsible for the day-to-day operation of the company's compliance and ethics program.
   The company said Vargas-Land will report to James Thompson, senior vice president and general counsel, but she will have a close working relationship with Fernando Aguirre, chairman and chief executive officer. In addition, she will collaborate closely with the company’s corporate responsibility officer and the audit, and nominating and governance committees of the board of directors.
   Vargas-Land comes to Chiquita from Abbott Laboratories, where she was ethics and compliance officer for the nutrition division. Prior to joining Abbott, she worked with two Chicago law firms, managing general business and commercial litigation, as well as serving as trial lawyer on a broad range of issues.
“Vanessa’s strong background in ethics and compliance in a complex international environment will be a tremendous asset in helping us to achieve the high standards of our code of conduct and core values, as well as fully comply with the law and regulations in the many countries in which Chiquita operates,” Thompson said.