Tyson Foods names Donnie Smith CEOTyson Foods names Donnie Smith CEO

Paul Frumkin

SPRINGDALE Ark. The board of directors of Tyson Foods Inc. has named Donnie Smith president and chief executive.

The appointment of Smith, who previously was senior vice president of Poultry and Prepared Foods, is effective immediately, the company said Thursday. He succeeds Leland Tollett, who has served as interim president and CEO since January.

In addition, the company promoted Jim Lochner to the post of chief operating officer. Lochner most recently was senior group vice president of Fresh Meats at Tyson.

Smith, 50, joined Tyson Foods in 1980 after graduating from the University of Tennessee with a degree in animal science. Since then he has held a number of leadership positions throughout the company, including roles in purchasing; environmental, health and safety; food safety and quality assurance; manufacturing services; information systems; and logistics.

Lochner, 57, who was most recently Tyson Foods’ senior group vice president of margin optimization, began his career at IBP Inc., a company which Tyson acquired in 2001. He started at IBP in 1983 as director of research, and then held several executive positions in the quality control and technical services areas. He was named executive vice president in 1997, heading up the brand’s beef and pork plants, and CEO in 2000.

Tyson Foods is expected to announce Smith and Lochner’s successors over the next two weeks.

Tollett will work with Smith and Lochner to ensure a smooth transition, the company said.

“We appreciate Leland Tollett stepping into the CEO role earlier in the year and working so hard to help turn the company around,” said John Tyson, chairman of the board. “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.”

Contact Paul Frumkin at [email protected].