AUSTIN, MINN. – Hormel Foods Corp. has named John Ghingo as its new executive vice president of retail, effective Oct. 28. Ghingo succeeds Deanna Brady, who has led the retail unit since 2022 and was with Hormel for 28 years, according to the company.

Ghingo is returning to Hormel after leading Applegate Farms LLC as president from 2018 through 2022.

After his time at Applegate, Ghingo was chief executive officer at Whisps, a snacking company owned by private equity firm, Kainos Capital.

Ghingo has held several leadership positions at such companies as WhiteWave Foods and Mondelez International.

Brady joined Hormel in September 1996 as foodservice territory manager. Brady later was promoted to foodservice regional manager in Los Angeles in 2003 and then promoted to vice president of foodservice in 2007. She then was promoted to group vice president of foodservice in 2015 and executive vice president of Hormel’s former refrigerated Foods unit in 2019.

“Deanna’s leadership, passion for change and unwavering commitment to both our business and community have left an indelible mark on Hormel Foods,” said James P. Snee, chairman of the board, president and CEO at Hormel Foods. “She has guided numerous businesses to record growth and has managed multi-billion-dollar divisions. While her business achievements are impressive, it is the culture that she has built that will continue to inspire us. Her impact will be felt long after she steps into this well-deserved next chapter.

“I am delighted to welcome John back to Hormel Foods. He is a dynamic leader known for building strong teams and strong brands. I am confident that John is the ideal person to drive continued focus, innovation and growth within the retail segment, aligned with our strategic priorities. His deep expertise in the consumer packaged goods space, coupled with his understanding of our business, positions him perfectly for success.”

Hormel owns brands such as Planters, Skippy, Spam, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin’s, Wholly, Hormel Black Label, Columbus and Jennie-O, among others.