Dean Banks to succeed Noel White as Tyson Foods CEO

Tyson Foods, Inc. announced Monday (Aug. 3) that Dean Banks will replace Noel White as CEO of the Springdale-based protein giant. The move will be effective on Oct. 3, 2020.

Banks serves as president of Tyson Foods and will keep that title. White will remain with Tyson Foods in a new role as executive vice chairman of the board of directors.

“The board and I are truly excited about the breadth and depth of capabilities of Dean and the entire executive leadership team, and we look forward to the energy and vision they will bring in leading Tyson Foods into the future,” said John Tyson, chairman of the Board of Tyson Foods. “It’s clear to the board that Dean’s impressive background in entrepreneurship, technology, and the healthcare industry make him ideally suited to lead Tyson in its efforts to integrate advanced technologies into our operations and further our focus on team member health and safety.”

Prior to joining Tyson Foods in 2017, Banks was with X (formerly Google [x]), an Alphabet Inc. company, where he remains an advisor. Previously, he was Managing Partner of SEED Ventures, a group investing in and developing early stage healthcare technologies.

According to a Tyson Foods statement, Banks’ expanded role of CEO is part of the board’s “deliberate, long-term succession planning.”

“I want to offer my sincere thanks to the more than 140,000 team members who have given me a warm welcome over the past three years,” said Banks. “I’ve had the opportunity to get to know many of them, and their integrity, passion and commitment to feeding the world is a critical part of why I’m here. I am honored to lead Tyson Foods as its next CEO and look forward to working with our company’s leadership in executing our strategy to capitalize on opportunities for innovation across the protein spectrum. Building upon the strong foundation established by Noel, I will continue to serve our customers, team members, stakeholders, and shareholders to drive our strategic initiatives and build our business in current and new categories and geographies.”

“On behalf of the Tyson Foods’ Board of Directors, the Tyson Family, and all our team members, I want to thank Noel for his 37 years of service with Tyson and his many contributions to the company, including his steady leadership over the past two years,” said Tyson. “He has an unparalleled knowledge of the protein industry and our business, and he has earned the trust and admiration of our team members and our company leaders, many of whom he has mentored. His humility and leadership have left a lasting impression on our organization, and we are pleased that his service will continue as Executive Vice Chairman of the board of directors.”