Brazilian meat giant Marfrig has appointed a former president of ConAgra Foods to head up its Seara subsidiary.

David Alan Palfenier, 55, who has been president of ConAgra Foods’ consumer foods snacks and international business since April 2010, will replace Mayr Bonassi as the head of Seara from February. Bonassi has announced his intention to retire at the end of 2012 after 38 years in the Brazilian poultry and pork industry, Marfrig said today (30 January).

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

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

Find out more

He will hand over the reins to Palfenier next month and serve as a member of the company’s advisory committee.

Seara was acquired by the Marfrig Group in 2010, and is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of poultry and pork products.

Palfenier joined ConAgra in 2004 as senior VP of marketing and was subsequently appointed president of several business units, including frozen foods, grocery products, refrigerated and speciality brands, and finally snacks.

Before joining ConAgra Foods, he worked for thirteen years at PepsiCo, including as president of the company’s Brazil operations, following eight years at P&G.

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