IMG Enterprises co-founder Michel Sallin and his daughter — and now company co-CEO — Melanie Ressler believe there is a good future for fresh fruit varieties in Florida.
Photo by Frank Giles
IMG Enterprises is no stranger to diversification over the years. It has been essential for success of the Central Florida-based agribusiness and its subsidiaries Cherrylake and IMG Citrus. The operation is now ready to make another move that will help fortify its future.
The company announced it has appointed Melanie Ressler, Timothee Sallin, and Chloe Gentry as co-CEOs. Michel Sallin, IMG Enterprises co-founder and previously sole CEO, is stepping back but will continue on the board of directors.
While restructuring into a co-CEO model is not a widespread practice, there are a number of Fortune 500 companies, including Samsung and Netflix, with co-CEOs. At IMG Enterprises, this approach emerged as a result of more than a decade of succession planning. As a family-owned business, transitioning the first generation of family leadership to the second generation is relatively common; however, having all three of the founders’ children named as co-CEOs stands out from the competition.
For more than 40 years, IMG Enterprises has grown substantially under the leadership of its co-founders, Michel and Veronique Sallin. The business has established successful operations in citrus, ornamental landscape, ecosystem restoration, and real estate. IMG is currently ranked the 27th Largest Privately Owned Company in Central Florida and one of Central Florida’s Best Places to Work, according to Orlando Business Journal.
The decision to retire and pass on a legacy is a big transition for any operation; however in this case, Ressler, Gentry, and Timothee Sallin have been hands-on at the company for years.
“Each of them has extensive experience with the operational and strategic knowledge of the enterprise, as well as passion and alignment toward our vision,” Michel Sallin says. “Together, they bring a critical understanding of the strategic, financial, operational, and human dynamics of our enterprise.”
The new CEO trio has hit the ground running and is ready to officially take the reins.
“IMG Enterprises is a value-driven company. Most decisions are made as a group and through the spirit of collaboration,” Gentry says. “We firmly believe that together as co-CEOs we can make decisions better than a singular person.”