Irwin Simon to step down as Hain Celestial CEO

Irwin Simon, founder, president and chief executive officer of Hain Celestial, intends to step down from his current roles and will become a non-executive chairman of the diversified natural and organic foods company.

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Hain Celestial CEO Irwin Simon | Photo courtesy of Hain Celestial
Hain Celestial CEO Irwin Simon | Photo courtesy of Hain Celestial

Irwin Simon, founder, president and chief executive officer of Hain Celestial, intends to step down from his current roles and will become a non-executive chairman of the diversified natural and organic foods company.

Hain Celestial, which is the parent company of broiler and turkey company Hain Pure Protein, in a press release issued on June 25, announced a succession plan. Under that plan, upon the hiring of a new CEO, there will be a transition period in which Simon will work closely with the incoming CEO. Hain Celestial’s board of directors has engaged a leading global executive search firm to help identify a successor for Simon.

“When I founded the company 25 years ago, one of my goals was to educate and change the way the world eats and lives through a relentless focus on providing organic, natural and better-for-you products to consumers. I am incredibly proud of the company we have built. It has been a privilege to lead our dedicated team and drive our mission forward,” Simon stated.

“I firmly believe that some of our greatest opportunities lie ahead and I am confident now is the right time for our next generation of leadership. I look forward to working with the board of directors in its search for the next chief executive officer as we seek to capitalize on our enviable position as a leader in organic, natural and better-for-you products.”

Divestiture of Hain Pure Protein

Simon, in February, confirmed the company was planning an exit from the poultry industry by divesting of its Hain Pure Protein segment. Simon told shareholders during a quarterly earnings call that he believed it would be more successful as part of a larger protein company.

Hain Celestial, according to the WATT PoultryUSA annual ranking of top poultry companies, is the 29th largest broiler company in the United States and the 10th largest turkey company in the nation. Hain Pure Protein’s key brands are Plainville Farms and FreeBird.

The divestiture of Hain Pure Protein is expected to be completed during the first half of fiscal year 2019. The third quarter of fiscal year 2018 concluded on March 31.

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