Tropical Cheese, a Perth Amboy-based powerhouse in the U.S. Hispanic dairy market announced Tuesday the appointment of Ivonne Balsinde as its new chief growth officer (CGO).
The move comes at a high-velocity moment for the company, which just last week announced the acquisition of Cibao Meat Products. Balsinde will be responsible for scaling the brand and accelerating market expansion across the Eastern U.S. and beyond.
Balsinde joins Tropical Cheese with more than 20 years of experience in brand scaling and multi-channel growth. Her career spans leadership roles in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe, with a specific focus on:
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Innovation pipelines: Developing new products to meet evolving consumer tastes.
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Commercialization: Turning insights into retail and distributor execution.
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Strategic growth: Managing multi-category portfolios and cross-functional teams.
Most recently, she served as Global VP of Marketing & Business Development at Matosantos International Corporation, where she managed a $100M+ portfolio. Her resume also includes a 13-year tenure at Kellogg, where she led snack and breakfast categories across Mexico and the Caribbean.
Founded in 1982 by Cuban immigrant Rafael Mendez, Tropical Cheese has evolved from a single milk route into a category leader. Now backed by private equity firms Avance Investment Management and AUA Private Equity, the company is shifting its focus toward becoming a comprehensive Hispanic refrigerated food brand.
“Ivonne is an innovator with a strong track record of turning consumer and customer insights into commercial execution that drives real growth,” Vic Mehren, CEO of Tropical Cheese said. “Her experience and perspective make her the right leader to help us sharpen our go-to-market engine.”
Balsinde expressed her enthusiasm for joining a brand with deep roots in the community. “Tropical Cheese is a category leader with high-quality, loved products,” she said. “I’m looking forward to partnering with the team to… build a repeatable playbook across channels and markets.”
