SALISBURY, MD. — Perdue Farms announced on July 12 that Kevin McAdams transitioned into the role of chief executive officer of the company.

McAdams joined Perdue Farms in July 2022 as the chief operations officer and president.

“The opportunity to lead such a well-established, values-based company is the professional honor of a lifetime,” McAdams said. “I am grateful to the leadership team, including Randy Day and Jim Perdue, for their support and confidence, and the committed team of 21,000 associates producing high-quality, trusted food for families nationwide, our network of family farmers, and our customers and consumers.”

The move was first announced in April 2023 when Randy Day decided to retire. Day will remain an advisor for Perdue until the end of 2024.

“After 43 years with Perdue, and the last six as CEO, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family,” Day said. “I appreciate the opportunity to serve this wonderful organization for my entire career. I know that I am leaving our company in good hands with Kevin, who possesses the values and leadership qualities to continue driving the business toward our vision to be the most trusted name in food and agricultural products.”

Jim Perdue, chairman of Perdue Farms, also praised the move to promote McAdams to the top executive role.

“As a 103-year-old, family-owned company, we have been very deliberate in our succession planning and believe Kevin is the right person to lead the next chapter of our company’s history,” Perdue said. “I am personally grateful to Randy for his four decades of service to our business, his leadership, friendship and contributions to our growth and success, and wish him the best in his retirement.”

McAdams previously worked at Jack Links protein snacks, where he served as president of North America. Earlier stops in his career included president of Schwan’s Consumer Brands and Pabst Brewing Co.

Other previous positions were operating roles with Mizkan, Red Bull North America, The Coca-Cola Co. and Frito-Lay.

McAdams graduated from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, in 1993 with a bachelor’s in political science.

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.