Smithfield Foods Inc. announced that Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer, will retire from the company, effective in early 2021, following a distinguished four-decade-long career – nearly half of which were spent at Smithfield. Dennis Organ, chief operating officer, U.S. operations, will succeed Sullivan as president and chief executive officer upon his retirement.
"It has been a great honor and privilege to lead Smithfield for the past five years. As a leading global food and agriculture company, we have an incredibly important role to play in society. It is an obligation we have proudly embraced over our more than 80-year history. We have persevered through an extraordinary time in 2020. Together, we have met unprecedented challenges head-on. More than ever before, we have lived the values embodied in our preeminent guiding principle, Responsibility, and our tagline 'Good food. Responsibly.' I know the future holds great promise and opportunity for Smithfield and all its 55,000 team members in the U.S. and Europe," said Sullivan.