(Bloomberg) — A revolving door in America’s biggest meat company has spun once again. Tyson Foods Inc. named Donnie King as chief executive officer to replace Dean Banks. King becomes Tyson’s fifth CEO in as many years.
Banks, who had been in the top job for eight months, is leaving for “personal reasons,” the Springdale, Arkansas-based company said Wednesday in a statement. King, most recently chief operating officer and president of poultry, becomes CEO effective immediately.
The abrupt change comes at a pivotal time for the meat producer. Tyson is earning better margins than ever from selling beef and added new plant-based burgers and sausages. Yet, the meat company has also been struggling with a shortage of workers at its meat plants and issues with chicken hatchings have impeded operations.
Tyson shares were little changed, after easing as much as 0.5% early trading in New York.
King, 59, first joined Tyson in 1982 and rose to lead the poultry business at the top U.S. chicken producer, before leaving in 2017. He returned to the company last September, raising speculation that he was a CEO-in-waiting.
Banks took the CEO job in October, just as Tyson was rebounding from the coronavirus outbreak that forced the company to shut several plants when workers got sick. Banks was formerly a project lead and on the leadership team at the Google division X, and was seen as an asset with Tyson installing more automation and artificial intelligence inside its plants.
“Upon deep personal reflection, and discussions with my family, the board, and my colleagues, I believe that stepping down and concentrating on my family is the right decision at this time,” Banks said in the statement.
Banks succeeded Noel White as CEO in October. White, now vice chairman at Tyson and who saw the company through the pandemic disruptions, took the role in 2018 after the departure of Tom Hayes, who lasted less than two years in the job.
Tyson’s strategic and operational priorities should remain the same under King, with results steadily improving, Stephens Inc. analyst Ben Bienvenu said in a note.
“While we are surprised by the move we think that Donnie King is well suited for the role given his industry experience and knowledge” about Tyson, he said.
(Updates with shares in fourth paragraph)
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