Team size: 22

Career Biography

Mr. Viteri holds a master’s degree in business administration and serves as Vice President of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Reybanpac, Ecuador‘s largest banana producer and second-largest exporter, with more than 6,300 employees. He also holds the position of secretary of the corporate board of Favorita Fruit, holding company comprising Reybanpac, Reylácteos, Fertisa AGIF, Fertisa port terminal, among others.

He has 13 years of experience in corporate affairs management, with in-depth knowledge of legal and regulatory matters, corporate governance, and corporate social responsibility.

He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ecuadorian Dairy Industry Center (CIL) and actively collaborates on the boards of numerous Ecuadorian associations, such as the Ecuadorian Banana Cluster, the Ecuadorian Banana Exporters Association (AEBE), and chambers of industry and commerce of Guayaquil, and   the Ecuadorian Association of Private Port Terminals ASOTEP.

Mr. Viteri is a senior in-house legal leader with a strong strategic vision, whose role extends well beyond traditional legal advisory. He plays a central role in supporting the growth, governance, and sustainability of Ecuador’s largest banana producer and one of the leading exporters worldwide, overseeing legal, corporate affairs, and board-level matters within a complex and highly regulated agribusiness environment.

Under his leadership, the legal function operates as a true business partner, closely aligned with operational units, corporate strategy, and ESG objectives. His contribution is decisive in strengthening risk management, stakeholder engagement, and long-term value creation. Additionally, his active participation on several industry and trade association boards reflects his broader influence in shaping sector-wide policies and best practices.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience? 

During periods of instability, the legal and corporate affairs function focuses on a simple objective: enable agile decision-making while protecting the organisation’s resilience and credibility. That begins well before any disruption, through systematic risk mapping and anticipation—identifying scenarios that could affect operations, market access, logistics, regulatory compliance, or reputation—and translating them into contingency plans aligned with the business continuity framework.

Equally important is cross-functional coordination. The function works in an articulated manner with operations, supply chain, commercial, sustainability, HR, and security to ensure decisions are not only legally sound, but operationally feasible. Our role is not limited to control and protection; it is a service to internal clients, adding value through clear guidance to reach the most responsible course of action under pressure. The goal is to sustain continuity without compromising integrity—responding with agility, while preserving commitments and long-term trust.

Given the current geopolitical shifts and growing uncertainties around international free trade, has your company’s risk profile evolved, and are you taking measures to address these challenges? 

Agribusiness, and banana sector in particular, has long operated in dynamic environments, and the last six years have reinforced that reality—through the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, a more complex domestic security context, evolving phytosanitary pressures, and the increasing operational implications of climate change, alongside higher ESG expectations from international markets.

Each experience has further strengthened the organisation’s risk anticipation and response capabilities. The key, however, is doing exceptionally well what sits within the company’s control: disciplined governance and compliance, rigorous third-party due diligence, operational preparedness supported by contingency planning, and consistent execution that protects continuity and trust even when external conditions become less predictable.

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation?

Reputation is one of the most valuable intangible assets, built through coherence between what is stated and what is done—sustained by ethical, responsible governance. Beyond that, our company’s purpose transcends business performance: it is rooted in our conviction to generate a positive impact on our people, the environment, and the communities we are part of, by embedding sustainable practices across every function.

In that sense, General Counsel promotes a culture of compliance and integrity by setting clear standards and enabling disciplined execution. The function steers the organisation toward consistent adherence to corporate policies and applicable regulations, embedding compliance into decision-making—particularly where risk concentrates, such as third-party relationships, human rights expectations, environmental obligations, and anti-corruption safeguards. The role is both preventive and advisory: anticipating issues early, providing clear guidance under pressure, and reinforcing accountability so that ESG becomes part of how the business is run and how trust is protected over time.

How does your team contribute to the overall business strategy of the company? Can you share an example of a recent legal-led initiative that had a significant impact?  

The corporate affairs team contributes to the overall business strategy by operating as a trusted partner to leadership—aligning risk management with growth priorities, market access, and operational continuity. This includes anticipating regulatory developments and stakeholder expectations in key export markets, strengthening governance and decision-making discipline, and enabling the business to move with confidence by providing clear, timely guidance when navigating competing priorities. The objective is not only to mitigate risk, but to preserve agility while protecting long-term value and credibility.

A recent legal-led initiative with significant impact has been the update of the company’s Code of Ethics, aligning it with the new realities in which we operate and the rising expectations of international markets. Beyond revising the document, the work strengthened our integrity governance by clarifying standards and decision criteria, reinforcing expectations for third parties, and setting a consistent ethical way of proceeding across all levels of the organisation. The strategic value is tangible—because coherence in conduct is a prerequisite for trust, and trust underpins long-term relationships, market credibility, and sustainable growth.