Leadership Team

Effective leadership hinges on strong teamwork, as it enables leaders to combine the strengths and abilities of each member, creating a unified team. Our team is tasked with clarifying responsibilities, fostering collaboration across the organization to achieve mutual goals, and supporting the growth and development of employees.

Gert van Manen

  • Gert is responsible for setting the overall direction and vision of iTi, the international sourcing of products as well as the creation and implementation of iTi’s marketing strategy. 1983-1985 worked as a trader at Curacao Trading Company in Amsterdam for the African and South /Central America region and subsequently in 1986 as Vice President in Princeton, NJ for the same company until Nov 1,1988 when he was one of the six founders of iTi Tropicals. Gert is now the sole owner of iTi Tropicals. In 2013 iTi celebrated it’s 25 year anniversary as a leading pioneer in the marketing of tropical fruit juices and concentrates in the North American market. He was born and raised in the Netherlands and graduated at HEAO Arnhem in 1982.

Don Giampetro

  • Don has been with ITI Tropicals since 1998 and is responsible for new product development and quality control. He also assists with the international sourcing of products. Don’s travels have taken him to South America, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Prior to joining iTi, Don was responsible for technical support and sales for Danisco Ingredients and The Kelco Company. He holds a Biochemistry degree from Rutgers University and is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists. He also serves on various committees, including the board of directors of the Juice Products Association.

Jill Harrity iTi Tropicals

Jill Harrity

  • Jill joined iTi in 2010 and is responsible for all accounting/finance processes as well as management of HR policies and procedures. She received her degree in Economics and Accounting from Rutgers University and has more than 20 years of experience in the accounting/ finance field.

Philippe Aubry

  • Phil joined iTi in 2012 after 30 years with his family company, Marcel Aubry & Co., Inc. He is responsible for international trade, procurement and sourcing strategies, product sales management, and domestic/international logistics. Phil is a professional commodities trader with experience in a broad range of commodity products, including sourcing agricultural commodities world-wide, futures hedging strategy, and currency trading. His experience includes 17 years spent on Wall Street. Phil was born and raised in New York City.

Jack Winstead

  • Jack joined iTi Tropicals in 2024 and is responsible for our long-term strategy, growth initiatives, and scaling operations. Before iTi, he served as global VP of Operations at Airspace, a tech-enabled freight forwarder. Additionally, he held several chief of staff and strategy roles at Uber. He began his career advising executives and executing M&A transactions on IBM’s Strategy & Corporate Development team. Jack has led large teams across the globe and has worked and/or lived in over a dozen countries. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, and a BS from Syracuse University.