Hormel Foods Announces Retirement of Executive VP of Retail

Deanna Brady, executive vice president of Retail at Hormel Foods, is retiring at the end of the fiscal year on Oct. 27, 2024. She has spent nearly three decades of at Hormel Foods, leading teams in both the foodservice and retail lines of business.

Brady has been with Hormel Foods since September 1996, first as a Foodservice territory manager in Wilkes-Barre, PA, with various Foodservice sales positions throughout the US. She was promoted to Foodservice regional manager in Los Angeles in 2003, and promoted to vice president, Foodservice sales in 2007. She advanced to group vice president of Foodservice in 2015 and executive vice president of the company’s former Refrigerated Foods division in 2019. She assumed her current position in 2022.

“Deanna’s leadership, passion for change and unwavering commitment to both our business and community have left an indelible mark on Hormel Foods. She has guided numerous businesses to record growth and has managed multi-billion-dollar divisions. While her business achievements are impressive, it is the culture that she has built that will continue to inspire us. Her impact will be felt long after she steps into this well-deserved next chapter,” said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and CEO at Hormel Foods.

The company also announced the return of John Ghingo, who will join Hormel Foods on Sept. 2, 2024, and assume leadership of the Retail segment on Oct. 28, 2024. Ghingo is well known to Hormel Foods, having served as president of Applegate Farms from 2018 through 2022. He has extensive experience in the consumer packaged goods industry.

In 2015, Hormel Foods acquired Applegate Farms, maker of natural and organic meats, for about $775 million.

“I am delighted to welcome John back to Hormel Foods. He is a dynamic leader known for building strong teams and strong brands. I am confident that John is the ideal person to drive continued focus, innovation and growth within the Retail segment, aligned with our strategic priorities. His deep expertise in the consumer packaged goods space, coupled with his understanding of our business, positions him perfectly for success,” said Snee.

After his tenure at Applegate, Ghingo served as the CEO of a better-for-you snacking company owned by private equity firm Kainos Capital. Prior to Applegate, he was president of plant-based foods and beverages at The WhiteWave Foods Co., where he led the Silk and So Delicious Dairy Free brands. Before joining WhiteWave, he spent more than 15 years at Mondelēz International, where he held numerous leadership roles in marketing and general management.