Donnie King was appointed president of the Tyson Foods poultry business, effective September 3.
“Donnie is a recognized leader who will work with the team to accelerate our strategic growth plans for the chicken segment,” said Dean Banks, president and incoming CEO of Tyson Foods. “We are confident that his knowledge and experience will help us continue strengthening our chicken operations.”
King, who has over 35 years of experience working in the domestic and global poultry business, will lead the company’s chicken unit and guide its leadership team. He first joined Tyson Foods in 1982 and has held a variety of executive leadership positions, including president of North American operations, managing all operational aspects of poultry, fresh meats and prepared foods.
Most recently, King served as group president of international and chief administrative officer and helped to pilot a comprehensive COVID monitoring strategy designed with the assistance of outside medical experts.
“We believe launching a new, strategic approach to monitoring and adding the health staff to support it will help further our efforts to go on the offensive against the virus,” he said. “Adding more resources and technologies reinforces our commitment to protecting our team members, their families and plant communities.”
New chief operation officer
Chad Martin was promoted to the new role of chief operating officer of poultry. Martin has been with Tyson Foods since 1998, serving in various leadership role in food safety and quality assurance.
“I’m pleased to once again lead our poultry business and eager to work with Chad and the team as we explore additional ways to ensure we’re operating safely and efficiently, while meeting the dynamic needs of our customers,” said King.
Tyson Foods, according to the WATTPoultry.com Top Companies Database, is the second largest broiler company in the world, trailing only JBS.
