Hormel Foods Corporation gets new CEO

28/09/05 The board of directors of Hormel Foods Corporation announced that it unanimously elected Jeffrey M. Ettinger to be the company's ninth chief executive officer. Ettinger, current president and chief operating officer, succeeds Joel W. Johnson who will retire as chief executive officer on Jan. 1, 2006. Johnson will continue to serve as Hormel Foods chairman of the board.

After spending 24 years at General Foods Corporation, Johnson joined Hormel Foods Corporation as executive vice president of sales and marketing in 1991. He was elevated to the position of president and elected to the board of directors in 1992. In October 1993, Johnson was elected chief executive officer and in December of 1995 he became chairman of the board.

Ettinger began his career with Hormel Foods in December 1989 as a corporate attorney. He became the HORMEL chili product manager in 1995, was named assistant treasurer in 1997 and treasurer in 1998. In 1999, Ettinger was named a vice president of Hormel Foods Corporation and Jennie-O Foods president. He later became president and chief operating officer of Jennie-O Turkey Store when Hormel acquired The Turkey Store Company in 2001 and then assumed the role of chief executive officer of Jennie-O Turkey Store in 2003.

Most recently, Ettinger was elevated to president and chief operating officer of Hormel Foods Corporation and named to the company's board of directors in May 2004.