BALTIMORE, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mouna Aissaoui, Chief Operating Officer for Pompeian, Inc., America's largest national brand of olive oil, was honored at the 22^nd Maryland International Leadership Awards on Thursday, March 8, for her sustained and exemplary efforts in support of Maryland's international relations and trade. The awards ceremony, which was hosted by The World Trade Center Institute (WTCI), honored local leaders who have taken their companies and the state of Maryland to new global heights. The WTCI is the largest international business network in the Mid-Atlantic, responsible for driving the growth of Maryland's global business community.

Co-hosted by the Maryland Department of Commerce, the evening kicked off at the American Visionary Art Museum with remarks by Darryl J. Pines, Dean UMD Clark School of Engineering, Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland and Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President and CEO, Lockheed Martin. More than 300 of the region's top business leaders were present as Aissaoui and six executives were honored by the WTCI.

Pompeian, led by Aissaoui, recently celebrated its commitment to job creation in the U.S. – marking a 30% increase in local jobs and the investment of more than $3 million in Baltimore based manufacturing per year since 2013 – with an event at its Baltimore headquarters with local dignitaries and Walmart representatives. The event was part of Walmart's 10-year commitment to buy an additional $250 billion in products supporting American jobs.

"Pompeian is a great example of a dynamic Walmart supplier working every day to turn out a great product for our customers, and to create jobs and economic base in its hometown of Baltimore," said Jennifer Hoehn, Public Affairs and Government Relations, Walmart. "Mouna Aissaoui is a wonderful example of a business leader who understands her company can make a real difference in Baltimore. This commitment reminds all of us why jobs created by companies like Pompeian matter so much to its employees, and to the community in general."

"From fostering relationships with farmers around the world to ensuring the company is living out its mission to provide high quality products at the best value possible to every consumer in the Untied States, we are grateful to have Mouna Aissaoui leading the charge for Pompeian," said David Bensadoun, CEO, Pompeian. "Her leadership, dedication and passion to the company, local community and global partners has helped Pompeian grow and continue to be America's largest national brand of olive oil."

Pompeian began importing olive oil in bulk in 1906 and is the leading importer and manufacturer of olive oil in the United States, importing 50,000 metric tons per year. In its latest commitment to quality, Pompeian recently opened the Pompeian Quality Control and Research & Development Center, a best-in-class facility dedicated to ensuring the quality, purity and full traceability of Pompeian products. Pompeian's specialized team of olive oil experts, food scientists, award winning and AOCS approved chemists, biologists, food engineers and highly qualified quality assurance technicians will grow by 20% with the introduction of the center as it will serve as a hub for research and development. Additionally, the center performs quality and purity analysis on approximately 15,000 samples per year in accordance with International and National quality standards and certifications.

To learn more about Pompeian, visit Pompeian.com. For more information on The World Trade Center Institute and the Maryland International Leadership Awards, visit wtci.org.

About Pompeian, Inc.
Baltimore based since 1906, Pompeian, Inc. is America's largest national brand of olive oil, best-selling wine vinegars and a variety of cooking sprays. In addition, Pompeian is the first brand to carry the USDA Quality Monitored seal on its extra virgin olive oil.

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pompeian-inc-chief-operating-officer-receives-international-leadership-award-300611069.html

SOURCE Pompeian, Inc.