Russia-based meat group Cherkizovo has named former Arasco Food and Zacky Farms executive John Ross to the newly-created role of COO.

Ross will be responsible for production across Cherkizovo’s five business segments. Cherkizovo said “unifying” the management of those operations will “enhance the group’s vertical integration capabilities and drive further efficiencies”.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

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

Find out more

Evgeny Mikhailov, Cherkizovo’s chairman, said: ‘This newly-created COO role comes at an exciting time in Cherkizovo Group’s development and we are fortunate to have John Ross join our team. His vast international experience in operations management, as well as his excellent leadership skills, will be invaluable in helping to coordinate our operations and further drive efficiency across all our segments.”

Ross will report to CEO Sergey Mikhailov, who up until now has been responsible for Cherkizovo’s operations. The company said the appointment will allow Mikhailov to “focus more on the group’s strategic business development and global strategy”.

Earlier today (16 November), Cherkizovo booked a 60% fall in nine-month profits amid higher costs in its poultry and pork businesses – but Mikhailov said the company’s performance had improved in the third quarter.

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