Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. said Thursday it has appointed Madeleine L. Champion as an independent director. Champion will replace Maher Abu-Ghazaleh, who resigned after 12 years. Abu-Ghazaleh’s brothers Mohammed and Amir still work as directors. Champion, an international management and trade consultant, worked as a managing director and senior vice president at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from 2004 to 2008. Del Monte, a seller of prepared and fresh fruits and vegetables, said Tuesday its first-quarter net profit fell 45 percent to $34.9 million, or 55 cents per share, from $63.6 million, or $1 per share, a year earlier. Del Monte shares dropped 36 cents, or 2.4 percent, to close at $14.52 on Thursday.

Gold prices rebounded Friday as the dollar gave back some of its recent gains and fell against other major currencies. Energy prices slipped, while agriculture futures rose.

Gold, which investors often use as a hedge against inflation, tends to move inversely with the dollar. The greenback has gained strength in recent months as currencies around the world weakened due to the worsening economic outlook. But the dollar changed direction Friday, falling against the euro, British pound and Japanese yen in response to the U.S. government’s latest efforts to help prop up the ailing financial industry.