The Table Grape Committee of Frutas de Chile is beginning a new stage with the appointment of Álvaro Aspée Roa as its new executive director. An agronomist from Universidad Católica with more than two decades of experience linked to the agricultural sector, Aspée takes on the role at a key moment for the industry, with the challenge of strengthening the position of Chilean table grapes in international markets.
His profile combines experience in agricultural finance, international diplomacy and commercial management in some of the world’s most demanding markets. In the early stages of his career, he worked on the evaluation of fruit projects for Chile and Peru at institutions such as Banco de Chile and Rabobank.
He later developed a career in public diplomacy as agricultural attaché at the Chilean Embassy in Beijing, China. During his four years in the Asian country, he led key agendas related to market access and dispute resolution, contributing, together with his team, to the opening of fourteen Chilean products to China, including major fruit milestones such as blueberries and citrus.
After his time in public service, Aspée consolidated his commercial experience in the private sector, where he spent eight years working for two major grape export companies, managing import and export operations from offices in Chile and Shanghai.
A commitment to industry representation
His arrival at Frutas de Chile responds to a personal and professional conviction regarding the value of industry association work. For the new executive director, coordinating common interests enables companies that compete in the market to align around shared objectives that benefit the industry as a whole.
Aspée was already familiar with the organisation. During his time as agricultural attaché in China, he worked closely with the association on the coordination of technical missions and exchange visits in Asian markets, an experience that allows him to take on the position with a strong understanding of the institution’s culture and team.
“My arrival here was driven by my interest in industry association work, and by my belief that bringing interests together helps push them forward with greater strength, aligning behind a common goal, where competitors can agree on shared issues and build momentum to move forward,” says Álvaro Aspée.
Restoring international competitiveness
The Chilean table grape industry is entering a new cycle after several challenging seasons and is now moving towards a period of greater momentum. Aspée is optimistic and highlights the work carried out by his predecessors, as well as the ability of Chilean exporters to read market transformations.
His approach is not based on a complete reformulation of the committee’s work, but rather on bringing a fresh and renewed vision, while actively listening to all links in the chain: growers, exporters, importers and logistics-related associations.
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The objective, he explains, is to better articulate the strategic issues that are often pushed into the background by day-to-day urgency, with one central goal: to restore the competitiveness of Chilean grapes in international markets.
“My intention is not to reformulate everything that is being done. I respect and greatly value the work carried out by the Committee. My objective is to articulate and guide what the Committee defines as a priority, but also to manage the issues that may have been left underneath, so that nothing is missed along the way. All of this with the aim of restoring the competitiveness of Chilean grapes in international markets,” he says.
A career with a global outlook
On a personal level, Álvaro Aspée leads a very active family life with his Mexican wife and their three young children. His international career has taken him between Chile, China and Mexico, the country from which he recently returned to take on this new responsibility.
Outside the office and the orchards, the new executive director defines himself as a fan of endurance sports, such as swimming and running, as well as travel, art history books and the music of the band Journey.
With a combination of global experience, sector knowledge and close ties to the fruit supply chain, Aspée is preparing to lead the long-term strategy of one of the most emblematic committees in Chilean fruit production.
