US food and agriculture cooperative Land O’Lakes has said Jack Gherty, president and chief executive officer, will be retiring from the company at the end of December 2005.


Gherty has been president and CEO of Land O’Lakes since 1989 and has worked for the cooperative for more than 34 years. During his tenure as president and chief executive officer, the cooperative’s sales have grown from US$2.4bn to over $6bn.


Land O’Lakes’ board of directors said it will begin the process of determining his successor.