not vested
New Tyson Chief An ‘Inside Outsider’Tom Hayes to take over the CEO role held by Donnie Smith for the past seven years
By JOANN S. LUBLIN and DOUG CAMERON
Tom Hayes will take over as chief executive of Tyson Foods Inc. just as the nation’s biggest meat producer faces a new bout of
competition for consumers in both supermarkets and restaurants.Mr. Hayes 29-year background in prepared foods and managing supply chains will be likely prove useful, as the company continues its pivot away from commoditized meats into greater reliance on
prepared meals and meats that have been cooked or pre-seasoned.Prepared foods are more profitable than selling plain beef or chicken, and
plentiful domestic meat supplies has put downward pressure on supermarket and restaurant prices, that were reflected in Tyson’s latest quarterly results.
Mr. Hayes joined Tyson in 2014 when the company acquired
Hillshire Brands for $7.7 billion and its brand-led portfolio that included
Jimmy Dean sausages and Ball Park hot dogs in that deal.
He’d been chief supply officer at Hillshire and Sara Lee Corp. before it spun off the hot dog maker, and at Tyson took over its prepared foods segment as well as oversight of North American operations.
The 51-year old University of New Hampshire graduate has taken a more prominent role in investor briefings since arriving at Tyson and has emphasized its global ambitions that have fueled analyst speculation that it could seek another big acquisition, even with asset prices that analysts say are elevated.
“M&A risk is ticking up across the industry,” said James Dunn at CreditSights LLC, who believes Tyson could look for deals overseas as part of its stated desire to become a global leader in protein products.
The company generates the bulk of its sales in the U.S. though it has international operations in
India and China, among other countries.
Analysts said they expected Mr. Hayes to continue the broad strategy adopted under Mr. Smith, targeting product innovation to drive more branded sales.
“M&A is certainly on the table, but I think most investors would be content to see them buy back shares with outsized earnings, rather than enter into another bidding cycle during a period of frothy valuations,” said Jeremy Scott, sector analyst at CLSA.
Mr. Hayes will take over the CEO role held by Donnie Smith for the past seven years, having been anointed as successor in June with his appointment as president of the Springdale, Ark., company.
Mr. Hayes, who also has an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, has also previously worked at units of ConAgra Brands Inc., Kraft Heinz Foods Inc., and US Foodservice Inc.
“He has been on the board’s CEO succession radar for the last year,’’ said Jeffrey Cohn, managing director for global CEO succession planning at recruiters DHR International. “
He’s an ‘inside outsider’ who has proven himself since the acquisition,” added Mr. Cohn, who previously advised Tyson about succession planning.
Staffers enjoy working for Mr. Hayes because “he’s straightforward, he listens and he’s decisive,’’ said Christopher “CJ” Fraleigh, a former boss of the new Tyson leader at Sara Lee.
For instance, Mr. Fraleigh continued, Mr. Hayes quickly revamped his leadership team after he took charge of the food-services division for North America.
Source: WSJ
http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-tyson-c ... yptr=yahoo
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