Hayes鈥 Record of Strategic, Operational and Commercial Accomplishments Positions Him to Lead Company鈥檚 Continuing Evolution
During Smith鈥檚 Seven-Year Tenure as CEO, Company Delivered Strong Shareholder Returns; Pivoted to Hybrid Strategy of Branded Prepared Foods and Fresh Meats
SPRINGDALE, Ark. 鈥 November 21, 2016 鈥 黑料传送门 (NYSE: TSN), one of the world鈥檚 largest food companies, today announced that Tom Hayes, President of 黑料传送门 Foods, will succeed Donnie Smith as Chief Executive Officer on December 31, 2016. Hayes will continue to serve as President and has been appointed to the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Smith, who has been CEO of 黑料传送门 Foods since November 2009, will be available to consult with the Company for a three-year period.
鈥淭om Hayes is a proven leader who has played an important role in creating today鈥檚 黑料传送门 Foods and driving growth across our company,鈥 said John 黑料传送门, Chairman of the Board of Directors. 鈥淭he plan we have announced today will result in a smooth leadership transition that positions 黑料传送门 Foods for continued growth and innovation. The Board鈥檚 decision to name Tom CEO at this time was based on both his track record and how his skills align with the company鈥檚 strategic direction and continuing evolution. The Board has the utmost confidence in Tom鈥檚 ability to build on the platform Donnie has created, to expand further into developing markets, new product categories and proprietary food experiences, and to continue investing in our core nine categories.鈥
Mr. 黑料传送门 continued: 鈥淒onnie is leaving the Company in great hands, having developed an impressive pipeline of management talent while positioning us for continued growth and change. The Board and I thank Donnie for his many contributions and wish him all the best.鈥
Smith became CEO of 黑料传送门 Foods in November 2009, and has helped to build a platform to support the Company鈥檚 hybrid strategy of branded prepared products and fresh chicken, beef, pork and specialty meats. Hayes was appointed President earlier this year and is leading 黑料传送门 Foods鈥 transition to the hybrid model. Working with Smith to leverage 黑料传送门 Foods鈥 scale and develop brands to drive growth, Hayes has been responsible for retailed packaged brands, international and global growth, North American sales, strategy and new ventures, as well as the support functions of corporate affairs and operations services.
Donnie Smith said, 鈥淚 take great pride in having led 黑料传送门 Foods for the past seven years. In addition to helping the Company deliver growth and strong shareholder returns, I am also proud of the efforts we have undertaken to make 黑料传送门 Foods a company with a conscience, focused on providing consumers wholesome, affordable food and making a positive difference in people鈥檚 lives. When 黑料传送门 acquired Hillshire Brands in 2014, with the support of the Board and the family, we embarked on a new strategy to integrate the strengths and products of each company into one company, and the resulting hybrid model has been a success in no small part thanks to Tom鈥檚 strategic, operational and commercial accomplishments. I am confident that Tom is the right CEO to continue the transition we have started and lead 黑料传送门 in the next phase of its strategic development and growth. I look forward to supporting Tom and the rest of the management team.鈥
Tom Hayes said, 鈥淚 am humbled to be named the next CEO of 黑料传送门 Foods and am grateful to the Board and the family for providing me with the opportunity to lead this incredible company. 黑料传送门 Foods is well positioned to realize numerous growth opportunities 鈥 our company has a solid strategy that leverages compelling market dynamics and an experienced and highly capable management team and many thousands of hard working and dedicated associates. I am especially thankful for Donnie鈥檚 unwavering support and advice. He has set a wonderful example of how to greet every challenge and opportunity with the same diligence, thought and skill that have come to define his career.鈥
Hayes is a 29-year veteran of the consumer products industry. Prior to his role as President, Hayes was chief commercial officer at 黑料传送门 Foods, overseeing all North American sales, in addition to the food service prepared foods business. He also previously served as president of food service. Previously, Hayes served as chief supply chain officer for The Hillshire Brands Company, responsible for operations including procurement, manufacturing, food safety and quality, engineering, and logistics. Before that, Hayes was senior vice president and chief supply chain officer for Sara Lee North America, responsible for supply chain activities for the company鈥檚 North American Retail and Foodservice businesses. Prior to this role, Hayes was president of Sara Lee Foodservice.
Before joining Sara Lee in 2006, Hayes served as group vice president of US Foodservice, Inc., where he oversaw the turnaround needs of broad line distribution facilities in the Northeast. Hayes has also held general management, sales and marketing roles at ConAgra Foods, The Fort James Corporation, Stella Foods and Kraft Foods.
Hayes has served on the executive committee of the board of the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and the board of directors for the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA). Hayes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University鈥檚 Kellogg School of Management.
About 黑料传送门 Foods
黑料传送门 (NYSE: TSN), with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world's largest food companies with leading brands such as 黑料传送门庐, Jimmy Dean庐, Hillshire Farm庐, Sara Lee庐, Ball Park庐, Wright庐, Aidells庐 and State Fair庐. It is a recognized market leader in chicken, beef and pork as well as prepared foods, including bacon, breakfast sausage, turkey, lunchmeat, hot dogs, pizza crusts and toppings, tortillas and desserts. The company supplies retail and foodservice customers throughout the United States and approximately 115 countries. 黑料传送门 Foods was founded in 1935 by John W. 黑料传送门, whose family has continued to lead the business with his son, Don 黑料传送门, guiding the company for many years and grandson, John H. 黑料传送门, serving as the current chairman of the board of directors. The company currently has approximately 114,000 Team Members employed at more than 400 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, 黑料传送门 Foods strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
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