Hormel Foods Announces Upcoming Retirements of Mark Morey and Paul Peil

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Jan 12, 2026, 16:30 ET

AUSTIN, Minn., Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company, today announced the upcoming retirements of two long-tenured leaders: Mark Morey, vice president of operations for fresh pork, and Paul Peil, vice president of marketing for fresh and ready meats.

"Mark has been a trusted leader at Hormel Foods for more than three decades, serving in roles across sales, marketing, general management and operations," said Jeff Ettinger, interim CEO. "His customer focus, operational discipline and commitment to continuous improvement strengthened our fresh pork business and the teams he led."

"Paul's career at Hormel Foods spans 36 years of results, growth and leadership," remarked Ettinger. "After developing deep expertise in sales, he transitioned to marketing, where his leadership has been instrumental in advancing strategy, strengthening customer relationships and driving team performance."

Together, Morey and Peil guided the fresh pork and fresh and ready meats businesses through growth and transformation, helping position Hormel Foods for continued success. Their impact will continue to resonate as the company builds on the strong foundation they helped create.

"We are grateful to Mark and Paul for their decades of leadership and service to Hormel Foods and wish them and their families the very best in retirement," said Ettinger.

About Mark Morey

Mark Morey joined Hormel Foods in 1993 as a meat products sales representative in Dallas and advanced through a series of leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, general management and operations. His career included positions such as product manager of fresh pork; director of marketing and general manager for Precept Foods; president of Dan's Prize; president of Farmer John; vice president of affiliated business units; and vice president of foodservice – affiliated businesses before assuming his current role in 2023. Morey earned an MBA from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and a bachelor's degree in business and communications from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. He also completed the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management Executive Program.

About Paul Peil

Paul Peil began his career with Hormel Foods in 1989 as a sales trainee and progressed through numerous sales leadership roles, including retail sales representative, account executive, district sales manager, national accounts manager for fresh pork and director of fresh meat sales. He later served as vice president of sales for the retail division of Jennie-O Turkey Store and as assistant vice president of value-added meats for retail sales before assuming his most recent role overseeing fresh pork, Jennie-O, the Hormel® Cure 81® brand and the deli category for retail customers. Peil holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Dubuque.

About Hormel Foods — Inspired People. Inspired Food.^™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minnesota, is a global branded food company with approximately $12 billion in annual revenue. Its brands include PLANTERS^®, SKIPPY^®, SPAM^®, HORMEL^® NATURAL CHOICE^®, APPLEGATE^®, WHOLLY^®, HORMEL^® BLACK LABEL^®, COLUMBUS^®, JENNIE-O^® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one of America's most responsible companies by Newsweek, recognized by TIME magazine as one of the World's Best Companies and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement — Inspired People. Inspired Food.^™ — to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit hormelfoods.com.