Cultiva, parent company of Royal Rose, has announced a number of changes and major investments, furthering its commitment to become a leading global supplier and innovator of Italian specialty vegetables and other offerings. Most notably, Royal Rose will now become Cultiva NA (North America), and Royal Rose will be Cultiva NA’s trade brand. Dennis Donohue, longtime Royal Rose president, will now move into the role of chief innovation officer for Cultiva, and Ed O’Malley has been named the president at Royal Rose. Ed O’Malley

Donohue will support owners Carlo and Federico Boscolo’s vision and global strategy for the company and their subsidiary companies and continue to support Royal Rose product development and business diversification while assisting O’Malley in getting situated in his new role.

“I’m excited to move to a more global role that emphasizes and appreciates Carlo and Federico’s commitment to innovation,” Donohue said in a press release.

In addition to these structural changes, Cultiva has begun to explore and test different growing regions in North America, while applying Italian technology and growing methods for its baby leaf production. This expansion aligns with the “Radicchio Revolution” marketing campaign it launched this past October at the PMA Fresh Summit in Atlanta. The company also has several value-added products in development to follow a wider release of its popular Med-Hearts line, which is currently sold across the United States, with a solid footing in the Northeast.Dennis Donohue

“The Boscolo family’s commitment to growth and innovation really stood out to me, and we look forward to finding new ways to introduce these amazing Italian specialty products to a greater audience in North America and Asia,” O’Malley said in the release.

“Because one of our core missions is to be sustainable, this necessitates innovation and a solid structure throughout the company itself, so that it can then filter into our growing methods, harvesting, processing, product development, and distribution," Federico Boscolo, vice president of Cultiva Global, said in the release. "We know that there will be disruptions from upcoming innovations, we are putting ourselves in the best possible position to capitalize on them when they come.”

O’Malley is a veteran of the fresh and packaged foods industry. He was most recently president and chief executive officer of Datepac, where he created the Natural Delights brand. In his 14-year tenure at Dole Foods and several years with Albert’s Organics and Fresh Express, he held management positions in marketing, innovations, business management and supply chain. His international experience includes postings in the Philippines, Afghanistan, the Georgia Republic and Russia. He has his MBA in agribusiness from Santa Clara University and his bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois.

Donohue served as mayor of Salinas from 2006-12 and is widely credited for Salinas’ outreach to the Silicon Valley during his term in office. He is expected to announce his formal candidacy for Monterey County’s fourth supervisorial district in early 2016.

To align his companies internationally, Carlo Boscolo recently launched Cultiva, which is now one of the largest radicchio producers in the world. It has also been announced that its UK company, MB Produce, will now be Cultiva UK.