Wayne-Sanderson Farms, the nation's third-largest poultry producer, announced the promotions of Aaron Leach to chief commercial and supply chain officer and Michael Crump to chief operations officer. Both executives have been longstanding members of the company's senior leadership team and will continue to report to Kevin McDaniel, president and CEO.

"These promotions recognize the significant contributions Aaron and Michael have made to the organization and reflect our confidence in their leadership," said McDaniel. "With their deep expertise and proven strategic vision, they are well positioned to accelerate long-term growth and further strengthen our ability to deliver exceptional value to our customers."

Leach will lead the sales, marketing, research and development, and supply chain functions. He most recently served as senior vice president of supply chain and general manager of the prepared foods business unit. Leach joined Wayne-Sanderson Farms in 2005 and has held several roles, including director of financial planning, director of strategic planning and led the integration of the Wayne Farms and Sanderson Farms merger.

Crump will lead operations and live production across the company's 24 facilities in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas. He will also oversee the engineering function. He previously served as senior vice president and general manager of the fresh business unit. Crump joined Wayne-Sanderson Farms in 2014 as senior director of fresh operations.

About Wayne-Sanderson Farms
Wayne-Sanderson Farms is an industry leader and the nation's third-largest poultry producer, serving customers, consumers and communities with integrity, leadership and responsible farm, workplace and business practices. With a diverse portfolio of products, a strong operating culture and an industry-leading workforce of more than 27,000 people and over 2,000 farm partners, Wayne-Sanderson Farms owns and operates 24 fresh and further-processing facilities across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas. Wayne-Sanderson Farms produces affordable, high-quality poultry products for retail, foodservice, restaurant, industrial and institutional segments under the brand names of SANDERSON FARMS COVINGTON FARMS, NAKED TRUTH, BUFFALOOS, FLY'N SAUCERS, CRISPY FLIERS, PLATINUM HARVEST, CHEF'S CRAFT, WAYNE FARMS, and WAYNE-SANDERSON FARMS. Wayne-Sanderson Farms is proud to be the "Official Chicken of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).