Jim Perdue, chairman of Perdue Farms, on Wednesday announced that Jim Leighton has been promoted to president of Perdue Food Products, effective April 1. Leighton joined Perdue in 2006 in the newly created role of senior vice president, supply chain, and operations. He was promoted to foodservice division president in 2009 and later assumed additional responsibility for the international channel. He was promoted to retail president in 2010.
“I know I can count on Jim’s leadership and experience. Jim is a champion of our vision to become the most trusted name in food and agricultural products, and he will lead by our values: quality, integrity, teamwork, and stewardship,” said Jim Perdue in making the announcement.
Leighton has more than 25 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry. Prior to joining Perdue, he was senior vice president of operations at ConAgra Foods and held positions of increasing responsibility with Hain Celestial Food Group, Celestial Seasonings, Nabisco, and Richland Bakeries. He was president, chief executive officer, and founder of National Health Management.
Leighton serves on the National Chicken Council board of directors, the executive committee of the National Turkey Federation, is a member of the board of directors of Smart Balance, where he holds positions as a member of the compensation committee and is chairman of the finance committee. He serves on the foundation board and corporate board of directors at Atlantic General Hospital and is a senior faculty member at Keller Graduate School of Business Administration.
