Aakre to lead Hormel innovation

Meat, poultry and prepared foods giantHormel Foods Corporation

, Austin, Minn., said it promotedScott Aakreto vice president of corporate innovation and new product development. Aakre previously was vice president of marketing for Hormel's shelf-stable Grocery Products division. In conjunction, Hormel said it hired

Whitney Velasco-Aznar

to assume Aakre’s previous position.

Hormel said Aakre joined the company in 1990 as an assistant product manager in meat products and was promoted to various positions within the department. In 1998, he was promoted to group product manager for meat products. He later assumed the duties of group product manager for Grocery Products and was promoted to director of marketing for the division in 2003 before being named vice president of marketing for Grocery Products in 2005.

“Scott’s new position will allow him to focus on our corporate innovation processes and new product development,” said Jeffrey M. Ettinger, Hormel chairman and chief executive officer. “We welcome Whitney and look forward to the marketing acumen she will add for our Grocery Products portfolio, which includes the SPAM family of products and Hormel chili.”

The NFRA Convention offers the opportunity to meet with the entire industry in one place. Product showcasing and sponsorship opportunities put your brand or new product front and center.

Today’s Cold Chain

This webinar will focus on an overall look at the “state of the industry,” with a research and statistical focus on some of the consumer trends driving product development, as well as a look at the cold storage landscape and how F&B manufacturers and processors can best work with third-party logistics (3PLS) and cold storage providers.