Organic Valley, the nation’s leading cooperative of small organic family farms, announced that Jeff Frank will join the cooperative as Chief Executive Officer, effective Jan. 23. Outgoing CEO Bob Kirchoff announced his retirement to the cooperative in 2022 and his last day will be Jan. 31.
“We are happy to welcome Jeff as our next CEO to guide organic food and farming into the future,” said
Steve Pierson, president of the Organic Valley Board of Directors and a dairy farmer from Oregon. “He shares our values and vision of nourishing people, animals and the earth through ethically sourced organic food from small family farms. He has the skills and experience to navigate the complex challenges facing small organic family farms.”
Jeff Frank joins from a 25-year career at Hormel Foods, where he demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a strong ability to drive business growth. He began his journey with Hormel Foods in 1998,
holding various senior roles in product and brand management. In 2009, he took on the role of
vice president of marketing at MegaMex Foods. He was later promoted to president and CEO of
MegaMex Foods, where he successfully led global supply chain efforts and brought successful
consumer packaged goods to the market.
Frank holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and Spanish from the University of
Minnesota-Duluth, an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and an executive certificate from
UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. He has also completed the Executive Education
program at Harvard Business School. Frank has departed from his role at Hormel as group vice
president of grocery products to join Organic Valley as its third-ever CEO.
“It’s truly an honor for me to join the cooperative. I have a deep admiration for the mission of
this organization, and I’m excited to collaborate to drive continued success into the future!”
Frank said. “I look forward to working with the board, the farmer-members and teams across the
cooperative and the industry to expand the impact of this revolutionary and independent food
lighthouse, while staying true to its values and mission of producing ethically sourced food from
organic family farms.”
“I am confident that Jeff will continue to uphold and enhance the reputation and values of
Organic Valley,” outgoing Organic Valley CEO Bob Kirchoff said. “I think it’s the perfect time
for new leadership to guide the co-op’s next phase of growth. I’m so proud of the hard work
farmers and employees have put in to keep this cooperative moving forward. I am so grateful for
having the opportunity the cooperative gave me and the support along the way.”
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