Alumni Spotlight
Donnie Smith (BS 1980)
Tyson Foods, President and Chief Executive Officer
SPRINGDALE, Ark., Nov 19, 2009 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Chairman of the Board John Tyson, of Tyson Foods, Inc., announced today that the Board of Directors of Tyson Foods has chosen Donnie Smith, currently senior group vice president of Poultry and Prepared Foods, to be the company's president and chief executive officer, effective immediately.
Donnie Smith, 50, joined Tyson Foods in 1980 after graduating from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Animal Science. After seven years experience in various live poultry production jobs, he moved to the corporate headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, to join the Tyson commodities purchasing group. Since then, he has had various leadership roles in the company, including Purchasing; Environmental, Health and Safety; Food Safety and Quality Assurance; Manufacturing Services; Information Systems; and Logistics, before becoming senior group vice president of Poultry and Prepared Foods.
"I started with Tyson Foods 29 years ago, and I've been very fortunate to serve in several roles for this great company," Smith said. "At every turn, I learned a different aspect of what we do, but the most important thing I've learned is that we have an amazing team of individuals that are dedicated to producing results. I am honored that I will now serve these team members as the leader of our company, and I am certain that 2010 and the years to come are going to be great for our shareholders, our customers, and other stakeholders. Yes, we, like everyone else, have seen some struggles in these economic times, but I am certain that through the leadership of our team, the efforts of all our team members with our customers, and the focus on operational excellence, we will succeed."
SOURCE: Tyson Foods, Inc. , Contact: Tyson Foods Gary Mickelson 479-290-6111 gary.mickelson@tyson.com