Seaboard Foods has tapped its vice president of sales to be president and chief executive officer of the U.S.-based pork company.
Chad Groves took over executive responsibilities July 1, succeeding retiring President and CEO Peter Brown.
Groves has served as Seaboard’s senior vice president of global sales, marketing and innovation since July 2021, leading retail, food service, export and processor sales teams.
Before joining the Kansas City-based pork company, Groves led sales teams at coffee ingredient maker Trilliant Foods and High Liner Foods, a value-added frozen seafood provider. He also worked at Cargill for nine years, according to LinkedIn.
Brown was CEO of Seaboard for about three years before announcing his retirement in March. He has 30 years of experience in the protein sector, including leadership positions at Butterball and High Liner Foods.
“I’m excited to lead Seaboard Foods, and my focus will remain committed to bringing excellence to the table and finding innovative ways to add value to our connected food system,” Groves said in a statement.
Earlier this year, Seaboard opened its first overseas sales office in Japan in an effort to build its global presence.
Groves is a graduate of Purdue University and has a master’s degree in business management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was a board member and treasurer of the National Pork Board.