Chiquita CEO Becomes CBS Undercover Boss on Sunday

On Sunday, October 31, Chiquita Brands CEO Fernando Aguirre is “The Undercover Boss.”

Appearing on the CBS reality show at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, Aguirre “is unable to perform a physically demanding job at their flagship factory and has to be removed from the line,” the show preview states.

A native of Mexico, Aquirre won a baseball scholarship to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and was elected to the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007 and to the alumni Hall of Fame in 2009. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a specialty in marketing in 1980. In 2009, Aguirre became a U.S. citizen. He serves on the board of directors for Chiquita Brands International, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Levi Strauss & Company and is also a member of the International Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Prior to Chiquita, Fernando worked for more than 23 years in brand management, general management and turnarounds at Procter and Gamble (P&G).

On Chiquita’s Facebook page, Aquirre answers questions about his appearance on the show:

How difficult was it to go undercover and become a frontline employee?
As you'll see in the show, I had a really great physical disguise and a good "cover story" that really helped me go undercover. I think you'll really enjoying see my transformation and won't believe your eyes.

What kind of jobs did you do while you were undercover?
I really got down in the trenches during the show in more ways than one. I think you'll be really surprised about the types of jobs I did when you see the show. And I can tell you, I never thought I'd be coring lettuce in the fields or driving a forklift!

How was it to drive a forklift?
I can tell you this — I'm not the best forklift driver. I may have a license to drive one, but you'll have to watch the show to see how I do. My coach Fernando was not too happy with me.

Did you do a "good job" at the tasks you were assigned?
All the jobs I did were really difficult to do. I really enjoyed having the chance to learn them, but I can't say I enjoyed getting up at 3:30 in the morning to work the first shift. You'll have a chance to see my weary eyes when you watch the show.

How did you enjoy the experience?
I had a lot of fun with our employees, and some of them are really funny. I think you'll see some really funny and touching moments during the show.

What did you learn from the experience?
I learned a lot of things from spending time on the frontlines, and I think you'll see some of the actions we took to improve our company. I am excited to be able to positively affect the lives of the employees I worked with, and through some of our new initiatives, all of our 23,000 employees around the world.
 

See a preview of the show at Chiquita.