SPRINGDALE, Ark., Oct. 10, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- A long-time senior executive of Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN) is leaving the company, Tyson officials reported today. In addition, Tyson is implementing immediate changes in the senior management of its poultry and fresh meats operations, which are designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the company's business structure.
Bill Lovette, Senior Group Vice President of Poultry and Prepared Foods, has decided to leave the company and his position will not be filled. This means three executives who have been reporting to Lovette will now report directly to President and CEO Richard L. Bond. They include Donnie King, Group Vice President of Poultry and Prepared Foods Operations; Bernard Leonard, Group Vice President of Food Service; and Scott McNair, Group Vice President of Consumer Products.
"After serving this great company for many years, I believe it's best for my family and me to chase some dreams we've had for a long time," Lovette said. "I also believe this provides Tyson the opportunity to allow some great management talent to take additional roles and responsibilities."
"We appreciate the 25 years of service Bill has given to Tyson Foods and the many contributions he has made to the success of our company," said Bond. "While we will miss his steady leadership, we realize he's ready to pursue new opportunities."
The leadership of Tyson's beef and pork business is also being restructured. James Lochner will continue managing Tyson's beef and pork business as Senior Group Vice President of Tyson Fresh Meats but will leave Tyson headquarters in Springdale to return to Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, where Tyson Fresh Meats is based. Lochner will also continue to oversee Tyson's Commodity Trading and Risk Management Group.
Noel White, a long-time member of the Tyson Fresh Meats leadership team, has been named Senior Vice President of Pork Margin Management. This will enable him to focus solely on the more effective management of the company's pork business. He will continue to report to Lochner.
Chris Daniel, previously Senior Vice President of Specialty Products, is now Senior Vice President of Beef Margin Management and will oversee the buying and selling side of the company's beef business. He will also report to Lochner. Many of Daniel's management duties in Specialty Products are being shifted to Jeff Webster, who will now be Senior Vice President of the newly created Tyson Renewable Products Division. This means Webster will continue to oversee the company's renewable energy unit and report to Bond and will now also manage the production and sale of most specialty products made primarily from poultry by-products.
Read DuPriest, Group Director of Strategy, will assume Webster's responsibilities in managing corporate strategy and development and will report to Chief Financial Officer Wade Miquelon.
Dan Brooks, an operations executive with Tyson Fresh Meats, will now be Senior Vice President of Beef Production Operations. His duties will include overseeing the company's nine North American beef plants and managing the company's hides and tanning facilities. Meanwhile, Jim Schmitz, another Tyson Fresh Meats executive, is now Vice President of Pork Production Operations and will oversee the company's six pork plants.
Brooks and Schmitz will report to Lochner, as will Jerry Holbrook, a long-time sales and marketing executive with Tyson Fresh Meats, who will now serve as Vice President of Fresh Meats Field Sales.
"These changes are designed to help us make the best use of our talent in addressing the continuing challenges of the beef and pork business," according to Bond. "Tyson Fresh Meats has significantly improved its performance over the past year, especially given the market factors outside our control. However, we believe there is even more progress to be made."
As publicly reported in September, Tyson is in the midst of a new initiative called FAST, which stands for focus, agility, simplify and trust. The goal is to place greater emphasis on value-added activities and encourage faster decision making. The evaluation phase of this initiative is nearing completion and company officials expect to begin implementing recommended changes over the next few weeks. These changes will involve modifying and reducing some layers of management and giving Team Members more decision-making authority.
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN), founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world's 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 80 countries. The company has approximately 104,000 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.
The Tyson Foods, Inc. logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3224