Chiquita Brands International Elects Howard W. Barker, Jr., to Board of Directors

CINCINNATI, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Chiquita Brands International, Inc. today announced that the board of directors has decided to increase its size from seven to eight members and has elected Howard (Skip) W. Barker, Jr., 60, to fill the new position. Barker, who brings more than 30 years of experience in finance and accounting practices, will also serve as a member of the company's audit committee.

"We are delighted to welcome Skip to Chiquita's board," said Fernando Aguirre, chairman and chief executive officer. "His leadership and extensive finance and audit skills accentuate an already strong group of independent board members whose vision and experience will continue to advance Chiquita's sustainable growth strategy."

"Chiquita is an exciting company that is becoming a global leader in branded, healthy, fresh foods," Barker said. "I look forward to adding my experience and joining Chiquita's board to work with this management team."

Barker's accounting career spanned 30 years with KPMG LLP, where he became a partner in 1982 and served as the firm's partner-in-charge of several departments, including business development; mergers and acquisitions, information, communications and entertainment businesses; and executive education. Barker retired from KPMG in 2002, and since 2003, he has served on the boards of directors at Medco Health Solutions, Inc., and priceline.com Incorporated. He is chairman of the audit committees at both companies.

Barker is a member of several professional societies, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Florida Society of Certified Public Accountants.

In addition to Aguirre and Barker, the board includes: Morten Arntzen, president and chief executive officer for Overseas Shipholding Group, an oceangoing vessel operator; Robert W. Fisher, a private investor with more than 35 years senior management experience at various banana companies; Clare M. Hasler, executive director of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at the University of California at Davis; Durk I. Jager, former chairman, president and chief executive officer at the Procter & Gamble Co.; Jaime Serra, senior partner of Serra Associates International, a consulting firm in law and economics, and Mexico's former secretary of finance and secretary of trade and industry; and Steven P. Stanbrook, president, developing markets platform at S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.

With annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion, Chiquita Brands International, Inc. is a leading international marketer and distributor of high-quality fresh and value-added food products -- from energy-rich bananas and other fruits to nutritious blends of convenient green salads. The company's products and services are designed to win the hearts and smiles of the world's consumers by helping them enjoy healthy fresh foods. The company markets its products under the Chiquita(R) and Fresh Express(R) premium brands and other related trademarks. Chiquita employs approximately 25,000 people operating in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit our web site at http://www.chiquita.com/.