Hormel Promotes 2 Leaders in Retail Segment
Hormel Foods Corp. has revealed a pair of promotions in its retail business unit. The moves come as the company is working to strengthen that segment and its brands.
Scott Weisenbeck has been promoted to VP of marketing – retail. He’s a longtime Hormel employee who joined the company as a sales representative in 1992 and steadily ascended through the organization. After working in a variety of senior brand management roles, he became the director of integrated marketing and planning for the Hormel brand in 2009, and then assumed the role of marketing director for grocery products in 2013. His most recent position was assistant VP of bacon.
RELATED: Hershey Announces New Chief Customer Officer
Joe O’Connor also began his Hormel career as a sales rep, coming on board in 2006 in the Chicago market and later taking on positions in category management, customer business management and sales. He has been promoted from his latest job as president of Applegate and assistant VP of Hormel Foods to VP of emerging brands – retail. In this new role, O’Connor will leverage his understanding of the premium consumer base and his track record of strong results to lead the emerging brands business.
“These advancements recognize Scott and Joe’s leadership, ability to deliver results and positions them to have greater impact as we continue to grow our retail business,” said Jim Snee, president and CEO of Hormel Foods. “I congratulate Scott and Joe on their new and important leadership roles.” In January, Snee revealed that he will retire at the end of this fiscal year after 36 years at Hormel.
John Ghingo, EVP of retail at Hormel Foods, agreed that the promotions of Weisenbeck and O’Connor are well deserved. “Scott and Joe’s leadership comes at an important time as we continue to strengthen our brands and drive growth,” he noted. “I am excited for them to bring their strategic insights and expertise to these roles, further positioning our brands and our businesses for the future.”
Last month, Hormel released its first-quarter earnings report, which showed a 1% bump in organic net sales to reach $2.99 billion. Operating income came in at $228 million for the quarter, and earnings before income tax hit $218 million. For the rest of FY2025, the company affirmed its previous outlook for a 1% to 3% lift in organic net sales.
