AUSTIN-Hormel Foods Corporation CEO Jeffrey Ettinger will retire from the post Oct. 30, the company said Tuesday.
The board of directors approved James Snee, its president and chief operating officer, to success Ettinger. The transition will occur at the end of Hormel's fiscal year.
Ettinger will remain as chairman of the board. He served as chairman, president and chief executive officer from November 2006 to October 2015 when Snee became president and Ettinger then served as chairman and CEO. He has spent 27 years with Hormel.
In 1999, Ettinger, was named president of Jennie-O Turkey Store, based in Willmar. He was named president of Hormel Foods in 2004 and CEO on Jan. 1, 2007.
In 2016, Ettinger was named as one of the 30 World's Best CEOs by Barron's.
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"It has been an honor to lead this great company alongside our dedicated employees around the world," Ettinger said in a statement. "Hormel Foods has a 125-year legacy of delivering quality and innovation, as well as meaningful value to all of our stakeholders. As Jim takes the helm, I am confident that Hormel Foods will continue its growth trajectory."
Snee becomes president and chief executive officer of Hormel Foods after serving as president and chief operating officer since October 2015. In that role, he led all of the company's business segments and global operations including Grocery Products, Refrigerated Foods, Specialty Foods, Jennie-O Turkey Store and International & Other. Snee joined Hormel Foods in 1989 in the food service division and served in various positions within the group before being named manager of inventory and distribution for the Refrigerated Foods segment in 1995.
"It is truly an honor to be elected as the next CEO for Hormel Foods," said Snee. "This is a remarkable company made up of thousands of inspired employees dedicated to providing inspired foods to our customers around the world.
Snee and Ettinger both joined Hormel in 1989.
Hormel is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products.
