Shane Smith Succeeds Dennis Organ as President and CEO of Smithfield Foods
Organ was recently appointed president and CEO at the end of 2020, but is stepping down for personal reasons.
Smithfield Foods announced it has appointed Shane Smith, a two-decade veteran of the company and, most recently, its chief strategy officer, as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Mr. Smith will succeed Dennis Organ, who is stepping down for personal reasons.
Prior to becoming chief strategy officer, Smith served as executive vice president of Smithfield's European operations. In this capacity, he spent much of the last decade in Europe, overseeing the company's operations, capital investments, expansion into new markets, and mergers and acquisitions abroad. Today, Smithfield's European operations encompass nearly 18,000 employees, 21 processing facilities, 58 company-owned farms, and over 1,000 contract farms in five countries. Smith's extensive experience with both Smithfield's European and U.S. businesses will aid the company in further establishing more robust and strategic global collaboration to franchise best practices across the company's expansive footprint.