Hormel Foods is promoting John Ghingo to CEO as the Spam and Planters manufacturer aims to further grow and innovate its 135-year-old business amid a challenging time for the broader food industry.
Ghingo, currently president of Hormel, will take the helm on Oct. 26. In an interview with Food Dive, a sister publication to C-Store Dive, he said Hormel “is a very unique company” with a portfolio, culture and presence in a diversity of channels that separates it from its competitors.
“Put all of that together, and I’m excited about the future,” Ghingo said. “This is a company with a great history and a great legacy in the industry.”
The CPG executive will succeed interim CEO Jeffrey Ettinger, who returned last July to lead the food company on a short-term basis as Hormel searched for a permanent replacement for longtime leader Jim Snee.
Ghingo is no stranger to Hormel, serving as president of Applegate, the company’s organic and natural meat brand, for four years before briefly leaving in 2022.
Ghingo rejoined Hormel two years later as executive vice president of the retail business unit before being named president of the company last year. During his time as president, he led the company’s supply chain, oversaw its business units and guided its efforts to foster growth and better serve consumers.
“Our strategy is in a good place,” Ghingo said, adding that he plans to “accelerate” investments at Hormel in critical areas such as technology, data and artificial intelligence.
Ettinger, who will continue serving on Hormel’s board after the transition, said in a statement he has "great confidence in John’s ability to lead the company into its next chapter.”
“Over the past year, John and I have worked closely together, and I’ve seen firsthand his commitment to the Hormel Foods’ culture, people and portfolio and his clear focus on the opportunities ahead,” Ettinger added.
Beyond his familiarity with Hormel, Ghingo brings more than 25 years in the CPG space, including 16 years at Mondelēz International. His experience could provide further stability needed to help Hormel weather the turmoil plaguing the food space brought on by a decline in consumer spending, volatile commodity costs and other headwinds.
Ghingo noted that his time in the food industry building brands and driving innovation, coupled with his experience at Hormel, “puts him in a unique spot.”
“I can bring best practices in from certain areas, new thinking from certain areas and really help accelerate the growth of Hormel,” he said.
Hormel, the producer of many popular c-store products and ingredients, has posted six consecutive quarters of organic sales growth due to its presence in nearly every eating occasion and shopping channel. The company has also been a major beneficiary of consumers' insatiable demand for protein, with an extensive portfolio of nuts, stews, peanut butters and meats.
Ghingo added that while being named CEO is “exciting,” he never strived for the role.
“For me it was never about climbing the ladder or trying to achieve some size of business or scope of role,” he said. “It really was about actually winning in the marketplace, delighting consumers and building great brands.”
The change at Hormel continues an active period of executive upheaval across major food and beverage companies. During the last year, Heineken, Conagra, Hershey, Molson Coors and Diageo have named new CEOs.
