Kevin McAdams began his tenure as the CEO of Perdue Farms, succeeding Randy Day.
McAdams, who has been Perdue’s president and chief operating officer, in April was selected to become the company’s next CEO and was going through a succession training, assisted by Day.
“As a 103-year-old, family-owned company, we have been very deliberate in our succession planning and believe Kevin is the right person to lead the next chapter of our company’s history,” said Perdue Farms Chairman Jim Perdue. “I am personally grateful to Randy for his four decades of service to our business, his leadership, friendship, and contributions to our growth and success, and wish him the best in his retirement.”
“The opportunity to lead such a well-established, values-based company is the professional honor of a lifetime,” said McAdams. “I am grateful to the leadership team, including Randy and Jim, for their support and confidence, and the committed team of 21,000 associates producing high-quality, trusted food for families nationwide, our network of family farmers, and our customers and consumers.”
McAdams joined Perdue in July 2022 as president of Perdue Foods and COO of Perdue Farms. Prior to Perdue Farms, McAdams was president, North America of Jack Links protein snacks, a privately held, family-owned company. His previous senior positions include president, Schwan’s Consumer Brands, and president and COO of Pabst Brewing Company. Earlier in his career, he held operating roles with Mizkan, Red Bull North America, The Coca-Cola Company, and PepsiCo/Frito-Lay.
He graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor of arts in political science.
Day, who has worked for Perdue for the past 43 years, including the past six as the CEO, will be staying on as an adviser to Perdue through 2024.
“I appreciate the opportunity to serve this wonderful organization for my entire career,” said Day. “I know that I am leaving our company in good hands with Kevin, who possesses the values and leadership qualities to continue driving the business toward our vision to be the most trusted name in food and agricultural products.”
