Dive Brief:
- JBS USAnamed Wesley Batista Filhoas its new CEO, effective May 1. Outgoing CEO Tim Schellpeper chose to retire, the company said in a statement.
- BatistaFilhojoinedJBSin 2011, and has served in several roles within the company’s international C-suite, including president ofJBSCanada, president ofJBSUSA’s fed beef division and CEO ofJBSBrazil. Most recently, he served aspresident of the company’s global operations. He is the grandson of JBS founder Jose Batista Sobrinho, and son of former CEO Wesley Batista.
- The CEO change comes at a time when the meat giant is working to settle several PR disputes, including price fixing settlements and an investigation into reported child labor which occurred at some of its facilities.
Dive Insight:
This change at the top of JBS provides the opportunity for the company to take a new approach in a variety of areas, from its operational structure to its product portfolio to crisis management.
Schellpeper, who joined JBS in 2017,began leading the company in November 2021amid a series of executive reshuffling decisions.
Incoming CEO Batista Filho’s familial connection to the company brings an insider’s perspective to tackling the company’s North American operations.
The world’s biggest meat company, which has its global headquarters in Brazil, has worked to overcome several scandals in recent months.
Last week, the beef producer said itcanceled ts contractswith Packers Sanitation Services (PSSI) at JBS meatpacking locations at which the cleaning company employed children to clean dangerous equipment. PSSI wasfined $1.5 millionin February for hiring at least 102 children as cleaners at the plants. The Department of Homeland Securitysaid in Januaryit was investigating whether the children were the victims of a human trafficking ring.
JBS has also been accused of colluding with other industry players to hike meat prices. Last month, the company said it wouldpay $25 million一群消费者指责该公司of fixing the price of beef. And last summer, wholesale distributor Syscofiled a lawsuit in Texasagainst the largest beef providers, including JBS, accusing them of limiting the number of cattle slaughtered in order to pay farmers less. The litigation for the Sysco suit is pending.
