Smithfield Foods creates chief operating officer role for US division

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Organ will oversee Smithfield’s domestic business operations and will lead a team of new internal recruits

US pork processor Smithfield Foods has created a new chief operating officer role at the business, which will be led by Dennis Organ.

Organ, who has been at the business for eight years, will be responsible for overseeing all of Smithfield’s domestic business operations and will lead a team of new internal recruits.

Organ will lead five other vice presidents for the company’s hog production, fresh pork, packaged meats and supply chain, as well as growth and emerging businesses.

Greg Schmidt will remain president of Smithfield’s US hog production until he retires at the end of July, while Jason Richter will look after the company’s fresh pork division. Russ Dokken will oversee packaged meats, Scott Saunders will be in charge of the supply chains and Joe Weber will be responsible for growth and emerging businesses.

The structure changes are part of Smithfield Foods’ mission to produce good food in a “responsible way” and its ‘One Smithfield’ initiative, which aims to unify all of its operations, brands and employees across the globe.

Guided by our principles of responsibility, operational excellence and innovation, our new optimised structure and leadership team will further ignite our potential as ‘One Smithfield’ by allowing us to better identify and seek out opportunities to improve our business,” said Smithfield Foods’ president Kenneth Sullivan.

Smithfield Foods is a US$15 billion global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer. In the US, the company operates a number of packaged meat brands, such as Farmer John, Eckrich and Morliny, and employs 54,000 people globally.