AUSTIN, MINN. — Hormel Foods Corp. announced the appointment of David Weber as group vice president of Foodservice. Having dedicated three decades of his career to foodservice, Weber brings valuable expertise and insights to his new role.

"David brings a wealth of experience to his new role, from his work in Hormel Foodservice to his leadership of our Burke organization,” said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Hormel. “He played a pivotal role in the success of Burke and was instrumental in the smooth onboarding of the Fontanini business, one of our most impactful foodservice acquisitions to-date. His leadership, expertise and commitment to fostering a strong culture will be a tremendous asset to the Foodservice business segment.”

Weber joined Hormel in 1992 and has since held several foodservice sales and product manager positions across the country. In 2006, Weber was promoted to Foodservice regional manager in Charlotte, NC. He was named president of Burke Corp., a Hormel Foods subsidiary, in 2012. He advanced to vice president of Foodservice marketing in October 2015 and assumed his current role of vice president, Foodservice sales, in 2018.

Weber will succeed Mark Ourada, who is retiring after 37 years of service and leadership.

"Throughout his career, Mark has been a great steward of our business, strengthening our Foodservice leadership position and driving industry-leading growth," Snee said. "We are grateful for his vision, commitment and focus on delivering innovative products that support foodservice operators and meet their customers' needs."

Ourada began his career in 1988 at Hormel Foods as a relief sales and merchandiser in Minneapolis. He was promoted to sales representative and territory manager that same year. He has since served in various capacities of leadership in Foodservice across the United States during his nearly four-decade-long career with Hormel. He assumed his current role of group vice president, Foodservice, in 2018. During his tenure, Ourada played an active part in the development of the $3.8 billion Foodservice business segment and was instrumental in the Planters brand integration.