Tyson Foods CEO Tom Hayes steps down, Noel White takes the helm
Tyson Foods has announced that CEO Tom Hayes is stepping down due to personal reasons and the company’s board of directors has appointed Noel White, formerly group president of Beef, Pork, and International, as president and CEO, effective Sept. 30, 2018.
Tyson Foods has announced that CEO Tom Hayes is stepping down due to personal reasons and the company’s board of directors has appointed Noel White, formerly group president of Beef, Pork, and International, as president and CEO, effective Sept. 30, 2018. White, who is a member of Tyson Foods’ enterprise leadership team, will also join the board of directors.
“Tom has accelerated the strategic transformation of Tyson Foods’ product portfolio and played an important role in the company’s continuing development,” said John Tyson, chairman of the board of directors. “The board and I thank him for his many contributions to the success of Tyson Foods and wish him well.”
White has more than 30 years of experience in the food industry and worked at IBP, the nation’s biggest packer of fresh beef and a leading pork processor, for nearly two decades prior to its 2001 acquisition by Tyson Foods. He has served in various leadership roles throughout his career with Tyson Foods, including as chief operations officer.
“Noel is a proven leader who has played an integral role in our enterprise leadership team for many years. He has run our beef, pork, and poultry businesses and is now helping Tyson Foods capitalize on international opportunities,” said Tyson. “His deep institutional knowledge and a stellar track record over his more than 30-year career at Tyson Foods and a predecessor company give the board the utmost confidence in his ability to drive the business forward, accelerate global growth, and create long-term value for shareholders.”