Wayne Farms LLC has announced executive succession plans for Wayne Farms, effective April 1, 2017. After 21 years of outstanding leadership as Chief Executive Officer, Elton Maddox will assume the role of Executive Chairman and will continue to serve as Chairman of the Wayne Farms Board of Managers. Current Chief Operating Officer, J. Clinton Rivers, will become Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2017. This transition is part of a planned succession that began with Rivers’ promotion to Chief Operating Officer in April 2014.

Maddox has more than 42 years of distinguished service with Wayne Farms since joining the company as a Complex Engineer in April 1974. His record of successfully guiding the company’s business strategy has allowed Wayne Farms to perform in the top 25 percent of the industry. During his tenure, Maddox successfully built an executive management team to lead a corporate culture that focused on integrity, profitability and continuous improvement in safety, quality and production.