SMITHFIELD, Va. – Julia Anderson has been named global chief information officer for Smithfield Foods. She succeeds Mansour Zadeh, who will move into a consulting role for SAP implementation before his retirement following a 14-year career at Smithfield. 

Julia Anderson, Global CIO for Smithfield Foods

Anderson will oversee strategic planning, oversight and global operation of all information systems and technology function at Smithfield, the company said. She will also direct implementation of Smithfield’s “One SAP” project that will streamline the company’s business processes and technology services across Smithfield’s Fresh Pork and Packaged Meats divisions.

“I am thrilled to welcome Julia to Smithfield and am confident that her expertise in IT strategic planning, restructuring, digital marketing and business intelligence will allow her to excel in this new role and support our transition to ‘One Smithfield,’” said C. Larry Pope, president and CEO. “Julia’s appointment builds upon the other senior leadership appointments we recently announced and makes our exceptional leadership team even stronger. I look forward to Julia's contributions as we continue to set the vision and strategy for Smithfield and implement our strategic initiatives.”

Anderson has nearly more than 29 years of experience in the information technology industry. In her most recent role as vice president of global applications for the H.J. Heinz Co., Anderson oversaw the successful standardization of technology functions across the company’s enterprise. Before joining Smithfield, Anderson held numerous roles within PepsiCo Inc., including senior director of foodservice, equipment innovations and customer systems. She also held leadership positions at Kraft Foods during the company’s merger with General Foods and Oscar Mayer.

Anderson earned a bachelor’s of science from Northeastern Illinois Univ.