Tyson Foods names Chappelle to new executive role

Tyson Foods recently added a position for a chief integration officer to support acquisitions that help drive the company’s strategic growth.

George Chappelle, COO at AdvancePierre Foods, was selected for the role. He will report directly to Tyson Foods President and CEO Tom Hayes and be a member of the company’s enterprise leadership team.

Chappelle will manage the integration management office and will lead all aspects of the integration of AdvancePierre, which Tyson Foods acquired earlier this month. He will also continue to lead operations for Cincinnatti-based AdvancePierre, a company that generated $1.6 billion in revenue last year.

“George’s experience and leadership will be valuable as we bring these two companies together and work to generate cost synergy benefits of $200 million within three years,” said Hayes. “An effective integration is an extremely important part of our strategic focus on sustainably feeding the world with the fastest growing portfolio of protein packed brands.”

Chappelle joined AdvancePierre as senior vice president-supply chain in 2014 and became COO in 2016. He has previously held operations and information technology leadership roles at companies such as Solo Cup, Sara Lee Foods, Heinz and the Gillette Co. He holds a master’s degree from Lesley College in Cambridge, Mass., and a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State College in Westfield, Mass.