AUSTIN, MINN. — Hormel Foods Corp. confirmed on Dec. 12 that Mike Clausman was promoted to vice president, deputy general counsel, and assistant secretary.

Clausman will oversee legal support of the company’s brand and business growth initiatives, commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property with his new position.

He will report to Colleen Batcheler, senior vice president of external affairs & general counsel at Hormel.

“I look forward to continuing to work with Mike to advance our company’s legal strategies and helping us achieve our ambitious goals,” Batcheler said. “His business-first approach, commercial focus and deep understanding of the Hormel Foods culture make him well-suited for this important leadership role within the legal function.”

Clausman joined Hormel Foods in 2011 after working for almost a decade as an attorney at a law firm in Minneapolis, Minn. He began as a Hormel corporate attorney and then became senior counsel in 2013. His position before this promotion was assistant general counsel, transactions, which he started in 2021.

Clausman earned his JD from the University of Minnesota Law School and a bachelor’s degree in finance and communications from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.