Smithfield Foods has named Kenneth M. Sullivan as its next president and chief operating officer, and Glenn T. Nunziata as its next chief financial officer. Both appointments are effective October 1.
Sullivan currently serves as Smithfield’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. In his new role as president and chief operating officer, Sullivan will assume the day-to-day operating responsibility for the company's fresh pork, packaged meats and hog production divisions located in the United States, as well as international sales/exports, among other responsibilities. Sullivan was named executive vice president earlier in 2015 in addition to his role as chief financial officer. He has held a number of positions within the finance organization including serving as vice president of finance from 2010 to 2013 and chief accounting officer from 2007 to 2013. Prior to joining Smithfield in 2003, Sullivan spent twelve years at large public accounting and consulting firms serving a variety of clients in the manufacturing, technology and government contracting sectors.
"At the start of this year, we launched a new organizational structure to support Smithfield's market position as a global leader in branded packaged meats and position the company to take advantage of additional opportunities for growth," said C. Larry Pope, Smithfield’s president and chief executive officer. "With our new structure in place, we have already been able to better utilize management talent across the company as planned and today's senior leadership appointments make our team even stronger."
Pope added, "I am delighted to promote Ken to this new role and to recognize his numerous contributions to Smithfield in the 12 years he has been part of our company. Ken has demonstrated outstanding leadership guiding our company through many complex financial issues over the years. He is a critical and valued member of our leadership team, and has played an important role in developing and executing our company's strategy. As CEO, I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Ken as he takes on new responsibilities in his new capacity. At the same time, I am pleased to be able to increase my focus on setting the vision and strategy for Smithfield and working more closely with teams across the company in implementing our strategic initiatives."
As chief financial officer, Nunziata will assume leadership of Smithfield's finance, treasury, risk management, accounting and IT functions. Nunziata most recently served as a Partner in Assurance Services at Ernst & Young, having been with Ernst & Young for 19 years. He has extensive accounting experience serving multi-national and high growth companies, as well as in matters pertaining to internal controls and corporate governance. He is a member of the Virginia and New York Societies of Certified Public Accountants and earned his M.S. and B.B.A from James Madison University.
Pope concluded, "Glenn's strong experience in accounting, finance, M&A, and management, make him an ideal candidate for the role of chief financial officer. I am thrilled to welcome him to the Smithfield family. I am confident that Glenn's expertise will enable him to transition smoothly into the organization and immediately add value to our leadership team as we continue to execute our strategy to position Smithfield as a global leader in packaged meats."
