Hormel Foods Announces the Appointment of Scott Aakre as Group Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the Company's Retail Business

Rhea-AI Summary

Hormel Foods appoints Scott Aakre as group vice president and chief marketing officer of the Hormel Foods Retail business.

Positive

• Scott Aakre brings more than 30 years of brand innovation and marketing leadership to the role.
• He will focus on evolving the company's brand portfolio, amplifying scale in snacking and entertaining, and growing the ethnic and food-forward portfolio.
• Aakre will drive growth by delivering products and experiences that resonate with consumers and customers.
• He will stay ahead of emerging trends and market dynamics.

Negative

• None.

AUSTIN, Minn., July 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company, today announced the appointment of Scott Aakre as group vice president and chief marketing officer of the Hormel Foods Retail business. The Retail business includes the company's portfolio of well-known and category-leading brands such as Planters®, Skippy®, Justin's®, Dinty Moore®, Hormel® chili, Corn Nuts®, Herdez® and Wholly®, as well as its iconic SPAM® brand, among others. Aakre will assume responsibility for continuing to evolve the company's brand portfolio to meet the changing needs of today's consumers, amplifying scale in snacking and entertaining, and growing the company's ethnic and food-forward portfolio.

Aakre most recently held the position of senior vice president of Brand Fuel, which includes the company's innovation, consumer and shopper insights teams, as well as its Digital Experience Group, the e-commerce team that supports the company's brands and businesses in the virtual marketplace.

"Scott brings more than 30 years of brand innovation, business acumen and marketing leadership to this role, which is critical to our long-term strategy," said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Hormel Foods. "Scott understands what fuels our brands and how to apply innovation and insights to unlock value in the consumer marketplace."

"Scott will play a pivotal role in driving growth by delivering products and experiences that resonate with our consumers and customers, while staying ahead of emerging trends and market dynamics," added Deanna Brady, executive vice president of Retail for Hormel Foods. "We are confident that Scott will bring fresh perspectives, strategic insights and a relentless focus on meeting and exceeding our customers' and consumers' expectations."

Aakre joined Hormel Foods in 1990 and held a variety of brand and product management positions for the company before being named group product manager in 2003 and director of marketing later that year. In 2005, he was promoted to vice president of marketing for the company's former Grocery Products division. He assumed the role of vice president of corporate innovation and new product development in 2011. In 2022, Aakre was named senior vice president of Brand Fuel.

Aakre earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota. He is involved in numerous industry groups and donates his time to several nonprofit organizations, including the United Way.

About Hormel Foods — Inspired People. Inspired Food.^™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters^®, Skippy^®, SPAM^®, Hormel^® Natural Choice^®, Applegate^®, Justin's^®, Wholly^®, Hormel^® Black Label^®, Columbus^®, Jennie-O^® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the "Global 2000 World's Best Employers" list by Forbes magazine for three years, is one of Fortune magazine's most admired companies, has appeared on the "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list by 3BL Media 13 times, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ — to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit hormelfoods.com and csr.hormelfoods.com.

Contact:               Media Relations                             Hormel Foods                             media@hormel.com

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SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation

FAQ

Who is the new group vice president and chief marketing officer of Hormel Foods Retail business?

Scott Aakre.

What will be Aakre's responsibilities?

Evolving the company's brand portfolio, amplifying scale in snacking and entertaining, and growing the ethnic and food-forward portfolio.

What is Aakre's background?

He has more than 30 years of brand innovation and marketing leadership experience.

What is Aakre's role in driving growth?

Delivering products and experiences that resonate with consumers and customers, and staying ahead of emerging trends and market dynamics.