After nearly three decades of service to Hormel Foods, the brand’s Executive Vice President, Retail Deanna Brady is gearing up for retirement. As Brady prepares to retire at the end of the fiscal year on October 27, John Ghingo, former President of Applegate Farms, has been appointed as her successor.
As a press release noted, Ghingo is an accomplished business leader with extensive experience in the consumer packaged goods industry and a proven track record of driving brand growth. Having served as President of Applegate Farms from 2018 through 2022, Ghingo is no stranger to the powerful Hormel Foods operation.
"I am delighted to welcome John back to Hormel Foods. He is a dynamic leader known for building strong teams and strong brands," said Jim Snee, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. "I am confident that John is the ideal person to drive continued focus, innovation, and growth within the Retail segment, aligned with our strategic priorities. His deep expertise in the consumer packaged goods space, coupled with his understanding of our business, positions him perfectly for success," Snee continued.
During her 28 years with the company, Brady successfully led teams across both the foodservice and retail lines of business and served as a key architect of the company's results-driven, high-performing culture, the release explained. The distinguished vet began her career with Hormel Foods in 1996 as a Foodservice territory manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, moving on to hold various Foodservice sales positions throughout the United States.
In 2003, she was promoted to Foodservice Regional Manager and was later promoted to Vice President, Foodservice Sales in 2007 before advancing to Group VP, Foodserivce in 2015. In 2019, she took on the role of EVP of the company’s former Refrigerated Foods division before assuming her current position in 2022.
"Deanna's leadership, passion for change, and unwavering commitment to both our business and community have left an indelible mark on Hormel Foods. She has guided numerous businesses to record growth and has managed multi-billion-dollar divisions. While her business achievements are impressive, it is the culture that she has built that will continue to inspire us. Her impact will be felt long after she steps into this well-deserved next chapter," Snee added.
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