Hormel Foods Corporation has announced the retirement of James Cavanaugh, senior vice president of external affairs and general counsel, effective Jan. 30, 2011. Lori Marco will succeed Cavanaugh as vice president of external affairs and general counsel.

Cavanaugh spent his 29-year career with the company in law. He started at Hormel Foods in 1982 as associate corporate attorney and spent the first 20 years of his career advancing through the law department as a labor specialist and corporate attorney. In 2001, he was named corporate secretary and senior attorney. He was promoted to his current position of general counsel and senior vice president of external affairs in 2005, and served as corporate secretary until 2007.

Marco started her career at Hormel Foods in 2004 as a corporate attorney and was named senior attorney in 2007. In her new role, she will oversee law, corporate communications and legislative and regulatory affairs.

Other News

The company announced a host of other executive changes, as well. Among them, CFO Jody Feragen has been promoted to executive vice president from senior vice president. The company also named Steven Binder as executive vice president of refrigerated foods; Ronald Fielding as executive vice president of corporate strategy, planning and development; Thomas Day as group vice president of foodservice; and James Splinter as group vice president of grocery products. All changes will be effective Nov. 1.