Butterball interim CEO Rod Brenneman has been appointed to lead the US turkey processor on a permanent basis.

Brenneman, a senior executive at one of Butterball’s two investors, took charge of Butterball in April after president and CEO Keith Shoemaker resigned.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

However, Butterball said yesterday (6 September) that “after an extensive search”, the company had appointed Brenneman to the role on a full-time basis.

The move will mean Brenneman will leave his job as president and CEO of pork processor Seaboard Foods, an arm of Butterball investor and US conglomerate Seaboard Corp.

Seaboard Corp. acquired a 50% stake in Butterball last September and co-owns the business with meat processor Maxwell Farms.

“Rod has done exceptionally well in developing Seaboard Foods into the business it is today, and we are excited that he will bring his proven management skills and business expertise to Butterball, our most recent acquisition,” Seaboard Corp. president and CEO Steve Bresky said. “With his strategic and customer orientated approach, we are optimistic that Rod will bring significant value to Butterball products, the brand name and the company overall. We are also encouraged that the Maxwell Group has expressed the same optimism.”

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact