AUSTIN, MINN. — Jacinth Smiley has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer at Hormel Foods Corp. She will succeed James N. Sheehan, who plans to retire at the end of the year after 43 years with the company.

Smiley joined Hormel Foods earlier this year as group vice president of corporate strategy after two decades in financial and accounting leadership at LyondellBasell, General Electric and others. Since joining Hormel Foods, she has been leading the company’s overall corporate strategy while serving as a member of the senior leadership team.

In her new role, Smiley will lead all aspects of the Hormel Foods financial strategy, performance, reporting and long-range business planning, as well as investor relations, treasury, tax, accounting and internal controls. She also will oversee the company’s information technology area.

She received a bachelor’s degree in accounting at the University of Connecticut and is a certified public accountant.

“As we planned for this transition, we actively sought someone with Jacinth’s skills, experience and commitment to our strong company culture,” said James P. Snee, president and chief executive officer. “She is an impressive strategic and financial executive with deep and broad experience in corporate finance, public accounting and compliance. Jacinth has significant long-term strategic planning experience in complex global organizations, which will be important as Hormel Foods continues to focus on growth in international markets. I am excited to watch the continued evolution of our finance acumen under her leadership as we execute our growth platforms and strategic imperatives and continue to deliver value to our shareholders.”

Sheehan’s career at Hormel Foods spans more than four decades, including the last five years as CFO for the company’s global operations. Over the years, he held various management and leadership positions in accounting and finance for the company. In 1998, he became the president of Hormel Financial Services and a year later became treasurer. He advanced to vice president and controller in 2000. He was named chief accounting officer in May 2016 and assumed the role of senior vice president and CFO in October 2016. He was named executive vice president and CFO in 2019.

“On behalf of the board of directors and the entire Hormel Foods team, I want to thank Jim for his leadership and dedication to this company and its people over the last 43 years,” Snee said. “Jim has led with a steadfast focus on building a world-class financial, accounting and technology organization. His leadership has included the highly successful implementation of Project Orion, and the acquisition and financing of Planters, the largest acquisition in the company’s history. Equally impressive as his career with the company are his contributions to causes and the community. Jim was instrumental in establishing Inspired Pathways, a groundbreaking initiative that extends free college tuition to the children of Hormel Foods team members. His contributions are immeasurable, and we wish him a long, happy and well-deserved retirement.”