The shuffle was announced by the company Tuesday in a statement, reports AP. It comes after recent reports of JBS' failure to close a deal to buy U.S.-based Sara Lee Corp. Joesley Batista served as CEO for five years, during which time the company made several international acquisitions and grew rapidly. Wesley Batista most recently served as CEO of JBS' unit in the United States.
“Wesley, with his broad experience and his successful track record in the sector, is exceptionally qualified to lead JBS S.A. and its 125,000 employees worldwide to a greater level of success in the coming years,” Joesley Batista said in a statement. “He has profound knowledge of our business and is well equipped to continue the consolidation, integration and synergy capturing between all our global production platforms, all of which I am certain will further enhance value for our shareholders as well as providing a better future for our employees.