A new leader has been named at Tyson Foods, with the promotion of former Chief Commercial Officer Tom Hayes to President. Current CEO, Donnie Smith, will remain in his position and work with Hayes.
“I am honored to serve as President of Tyson Foods,” Hayes commented in a press release. “I appreciate the confidence the board has placed in me and look forward to working closely with Donnie and the board to help our company become a global leader in protein-centric branded foods.”
Formerly President of Foodservice at Tyson Foods, Hayes brings experience in leadership both with the company and from his prior positions. He has previously worked as Chief Supply Chain Officer for The Hillshire Brands Company, where he was responsible for procurement, manufacturing, food safety and quality, engineering, and more.
“Tom Hayes is an exceptional leader who’s played a key role in creating a united company and in our continued development of our branded products,” Smith said. “He has a distinguished track record of strategic, operational, and commercial accomplishments, and I am pleased to have an opportunity to work closely with him as we continue to leverage our scale and nine core brands to drive industry-leading growth in attractive market segments.”
John Tyson, Chairman of the Board of Directors, commented that Tyson Foods has delivered excellent results for shareholders and experienced significant growth under Smith’s leadership. “As we look toward the future of our business and its next phase of growth, succession planning is the board’s responsibility,” Tyson added. “We are focused on leaders with the right skills to help Tyson Foods capitalize on favorable market trends in the U.S. and abroad, continue improving our portfolio mix and margins, and drive innovation in our expanding range of branded products.”
In his role as President, Hayes will work from Springdale, AR, leading the company’s transition reflecting its strategic focus on the hybrid model of branded prepared foods and fresh meats.
DeliMarket News will continue to follow executive changes for key company across the scope of the industry, so stay tuned.
