Tyson Foods CEO’s succession plan now in question as former CFO pleads guilty to DWI

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John R. Tyson, former chief financial officer of Tyson Foods and fourth-generation heir to the company, was convicted of drunken driving and reckless driving in Arkansas on October 17. Tyson was fined less than $1,000 and ordered to complete 32 hours of driving time. community service, according to a district court filing. A 90-day prison sentence was suspended.

Tyson was initially suspended from his job as chief financial officer after a June incident in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where police stopped him for speeding and hitting a curb, then tried him under criminal charges. influence of alcohol. Two months later, his suspension became permanent, officially removing him from his role with the company.

This is the second incident in two years. In November 2022, Tyson was found drunk in a stranger’s bed. In this incident, hWe pleaded guilty to charges of public drunkenness and criminal trespass and paid a fine of $440. According to the company’s website, Tyson is no longer CFO, but still serves as executive vice president at the bottom of the management team.

Before these incidents, it was believed that Tyson was poised to one day replace current CEO Donnie King. Although the CEO position at Tyson Foods generated a good portion of revenue, there has also been no Tyson heir at the helm since Tyson’s father, John H. Tyson, resigned in 2006.

Tyson’s sister, Olivia Tyson, who currently serves as president of the Tyson Family Foundation, would be Tyson’s only successor as CEO aside from her brother. However, Olivia’s ascension to CEO is unlikely: She has never held any position for the Tyson brand outside of her current role, according to a company blog post.

The CFO position left vacant by Tyson’s suspension was filled by longtime Tyson Foods finance executive Curt Calaway. After serving in several leadership roles within the company, such as CFO of Prepared Foods, Senior Vice President of Finance and Vice President of Audit for nearly two decades, Calaway retired his title on an interim basis and was promoted to financial director at the end of August.