Brazilian meat processor JBS has appointed Wesley Batista as its CEO, replacing his brother Joesley Batista, who will become the company’s chairman.

Wesley Batista has spent the last four years as CEO of the group’s US business, where the company said yesterday (1 February) that he focused on the restructuring, expansion and integration of operations in North America and in Australia.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

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

Find out more

“He has profound knowledge of our business and is well equipped to continue the consolidation, integration and synergy capturing between all our global production platforms,” said Joesley Batista of brother Wesley.

Joesley Batista said his move to chairman will allow him to dedicate more of his time to “strategic amatters” and to the “longevity of the company”.

The announcement follows speculation that the group made a failed bid to acquire Sara Lee last week.

Shares in the company were down 1.43% at the market’s close yesterday to BRL6.39 a share.

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