Perdue Farms is announcing that Kevin McAdams, COO and president, will transition to the role of chief executive officer as part of a planned succession announced in April 2023. McAdams brings 30 years of successful leadership in the food and beverage industry to the vertically integrated food and agriculture company and fourth-largest producer of chicken products in the United States.

Randy Day, who held the CEO position since April 2017, will be staying on as an advisor to Perdue through 2024. “After 43 years with Perdue, and the last six as CEO, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family. I appreciate the opportunity to serve this wonderful organization for my entire career,” said Day. “I know that I am leaving our company in good hands with Kevin, who possesses the values and leadership qualities to continue driving the business toward our vision to be the most trusted name in food and agricultural products.”

“As a 103-year-old, family-owned company, we have been very deliberate in our succession planning and believe Kevin is the right person to lead the next chapter of our company’s history,” said Perdue Farms Chairman Jim Perdue. “I am personally grateful to Randy for his four decades of service to our business, his leadership, friendship, and contributions to our growth and success, and wish him the best in his retirement.”

“The opportunity to lead such a well-established, values-based company is the professional honor of a lifetime,” said McAdams. “I am grateful to the leadership team, including Randy and Jim, for their support and confidence, and the committed team of 21,000 associates producing high-quality, trusted food for families nationwide, our network of family farmers, and our customers and consumers.”

McAdams joined Perdue in July of 2022. He has a proven track record of achieving profitable, sustainable growth and driving operational excellence for top-performing food and beverage companies. Prior to Perdue Farms, McAdams was president, North America of Jack Link's protein snacks, a privately held, family-owned company. His previous senior positions include president, Schwan’s Consumer Brands, and president and COO of Pabst Brewing Co. Earlier in his career, he held operating roles with Mizkan, Red Bull North America, The Coca-Cola Co., and PepsiCo/Frito-Lay.

McAdams graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science.

Source: Perdue Farms