The CEO of Del Monte Foods is to leave the US food group once its US$5bn sale to a private-equity consortium is complete.

Del Monte is set to be bought by a group of private-equity firms led by buyout giant KKR and, although chairman and CEO Rick Wolford is to stay on until the deal is complete, he has outlined his to plan to leave.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

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

Find out more

In an SEC filing made yesterday (26 January) by Del Monte, Wolford said that “the sponsors have initiated a search for my successor, which is well under way”.

He said the company expects Dave Meyers to continue as CFO through the close of the transaction, but that current executive vice president of finance, Larry Bodner, will become the CFO of the new Del Monte Corp. on completion of the merger.

KKR is also in the process of finalising the new board of directors at the company. Wolford said that the company expects that, upon completion of the merger, “sponsor representatives”, which include KKR, Vestar Capital Partners and Centerview Partners, will “make up a significant portion of the board of directors.

Wolford said that the deal remains “on track” to complete financing and secure required approvals.

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

The deal is expected to close shortly after a stockholder vote on 15 February.

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