Hormel group VP of supply chain to retire

Hormel Foods announces the upcoming retirement of Mark Coffey.

Hormel Foods Corp. has announced the upcoming retirement of Mark Coffey, group vice president of supply chain. The company announced that Steve Lykken, group vice president of Jennie-O Turkey Store, will advance to group vice president of supply chain. In this role, Lykken will lead the company's One Supply Chain organization, including procurement, manufacturing, engineering, logistics, research and development, quality management and plant operations.

"Mark has been a highly respected and impactful leader over his almost 40-year career with the company. His perseverance and empowering leadership through the challenges of the COVID pandemic were indispensable, and his operational expertise has been transformational. I thank Mark, and his wife Tammy, for their commitment and engagement in our community and wish them both the best in retirement," said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods. "Steve's breadth and depth of experience across our company, including business unit leadership, supply chain management, sales and marketing, makes him well suited for this critical role. I look forward to Steve's vision and leadership to continue our track record of operational excellence."

Mark Coffey

Coffey started his career with Hormel Foods as a supervisor at the company's former Ottumwa, Iowa, plant in 1985. He held a variety of positions at several locations before moving to the corporate office (Austin, Minn.) in 1991 as product manufacturing manager for cured and smoked meats. Coffey was promoted to plant manager at the company's former Houston plant in 1995 and held this position at Dold Foods (Wichita, Kan.), Osceola (Iowa) Food and the company's former Fremont, Neb., plant before being named plant manager of the company's flagship plant in Austin, Minn., in 2005. He was named vice president of the company's affiliated businesses group in 2011. In 2017, Coffey assumed the role of senior vice president of supply chain and was promoted to senior vice president of supply chain and manufacturing that same year. He was named group vice president of supply chain for Hormel Foods global operations in 2021.

Coffey is a graduate of Central College in Pella, Iowa, with a degree in business and system management and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management Minnesota Executive Program.

Steve Lykken

Lykken began his career at Hormel Foods in 1992 in a sales account executive role, later leading trade management and holding brand manager and group product manager roles. Lykken was named senior vice president of the retail division of Jennie-O Turkey Store in 2003, and senior vice president of supply chain for the business in 2011. He was appointed chief operating officer of Applegate Farms in 2015 and promoted to president in 2016. Lykken was named senior vice president, Hormel Foods and president of Jennie-O Turkey Store Inc. the following year. He assumed his current role of group vice president, Jennie-O Turkey Store, in 2021.

Steve Lykken. Image courtesy Hormel Foods Corp.

Lykken holds an international business degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management Minnesota Executive Program.

Source: Hormel Foods Corp.