Springdale, Arkansas Chairman of the Board John Tyson, of Tyson Foods, Inc.
(NYSE: TSN), announced today that the Board of Directors of Tyson Foods has
chosen Donnie Smith, currently senior group vice president of Poultry and
Prepared Foods, to be the companys president and chief executive officer,
effective immediately. Additionally, Jim Lochner, currently senior group vice
president of Fresh Meats, has been named the companys chief operating officer.
The Tyson Board and the Tyson family congratulate Donnie Smith and Jim Lochner
and wish them the best for the future success of our company, Tyson said. We
appreciate Leland Tollett stepping into the CEO role earlier in the year and
working so hard to help turn the company around. Significant progress has been
made. I have worked with both Donnie and Jim for a number of years and am
convinced that they are the right leadership team for this next phase in the
evolution of our company. Their extensive experience inside the company has
fully prepared them to continue the progress we have made in the last year.
Leland Tollett, who has been serving as interim president and CEO of the company
since January, will continue in the coming months to assist Smith and Lochner in
the transition, and he will be available for strategic advice and support. When
I was called back to help get our company back on course, I was asked how long I
would be in this role. I jokingly said, somewhere between three months and
three years, hopefully sooner than later. That time is now, and our company has
been profitable for an extended period of time and it has been personally
gratifying to me to have been able to lead a great team of people in turning our
company around in a relatively short time. I know Donnie and Jim are ready to
take on these new responsibilities and lead the great team of managers we have
in our company. Ive enjoyed being back at the company this year, but while Ill
continue to be available for advice should it be needed, the amount of time I
spend on company matters will be reduced significantly going forward, Tollett
said.
Donnie Smith, 50, joined Tyson Foods in 1980 after graduating from the
University of Tennessee with a degree in Animal Science. After seven years
experience in various live poultry production jobs, he moved to the corporate
headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, to join the Tyson commodities purchasing
group. Since then, he has had various leadership roles in the company, including
Purchasing; Environmental, Health and Safety; Food Safety and Quality Assurance;
Manufacturing Services; Information Systems; and Logistics, before becoming
senior group vice president of Poultry and Prepared Foods.
I started with Tyson Foods 29 years ago, and Ive been very fortunate to serve
in several roles for this great company, Smith said. At every turn, I learned
a different aspect of what we do, but the most important thing Ive learned is
that we have an amazing team of individuals that are dedicated to producing
results. I am honored that I will now serve these Team Members as the leader of
our company, and I am certain that 2010 and the years to come are going to be
great for our shareholders, our customers, and other stakeholders. Yes, we, like
everyone else, have seen some struggles in these economic times, but I am
certain that through the leadership of our team, the efforts of all our Team
Members with our customers, and the focus on operational excellence, we will
succeed.
Jim Lochner, 57, joined IBP, inc., later purchased by Tyson, in 1983 as director
of research. Previously, he was a quality control food technologist at Oscar
Mayer Foods and a laboratory technician at the University of Wisconsin. In his
first 14 years at IBP, Lochner held several different officer positions in
various quality control and technical services areas. He became executive vice
president of IBP in 1997, responsible for all of IBPs beef and pork plants. In
2000, he was promoted to president and CEO of IBP. After Tyson Foods acquired
IBP in 2001, he was named group vice president of Tyson Fresh Meats. He was then
named Tyson Foods senior group vice president of Margin Optimization in 2005
before becoming senior group vice president of Fresh Meats in 2007. Lochner
earned his bachelors and masters degrees in meat and animal science from the
University of Wisconsin, Madison.
As president and CEO, Smiths direct reports will be: Chief Operating Officer
Jim Lochner, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Dennis
Leatherby, Executive Vice President and General Counsel David Van Bebber,
Executive Vice President and Special Assistant to the President Buddy Wray,
Senior Vice President for Human Resources Ken Kimbro, and Senior Vice President
for External Relations Sara Lilygren. As the Chief Operating Officer, Lochners
direct reports will be all of Tyson Foods business units, including Poultry and
Prepared Foods, Fresh Meats, International, Renewable Products, and the Shared
Services Groups that support the business units through Transportation,
Information Services, Product Development, and Environmental, Health and Safety
Services. Successors to Smith and Lochner will be named within the next two
weeks, along with any other related announcements.
About Tyson Foods, Inc.
Tyson Foods, Inc., founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is
the worlds largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the
second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500, and a member of the
S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food
products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice
markets it serves. Tyson provides products and service to customers throughout
the United States and more than 90 countries. The company has approximately
107,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the
United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct,
and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson 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.
Source:
Tyson Foods Inc.
