Kincannon & Reed

About Us

Food and agriculture: industries as unique as the people who lead them. And no one knows them like we do. We’re Kincannon & Reed, a global executive search firm exclusively serving organizations within the food and agriculture industries.

Our approach is different
With 40 years of experience across diverse international sectors, we know the caliber of leaders needed to shape a promising future for the food and agriculture industries.

We’ve sat in your chair.
Empty seats at your leadership table or ineffective executives hurt profits, morale, and market share. Our principals are well-networked, former industry executives who understand your priorities and the talent you seek. We advise you as a colleague or peer, rather than an outsider. Learn who we are.

Knowing your next leader is our job.
We are a team of search professionals serving clients focused on feeding the world and keeping it healthy. We leverage our deep industry knowledge, data, and connections to identify and place leaders with the right experiences, values, and cultural fit. Learn who we serve.

Providing search expertise and more
Our search professionals partner with you throughout the process. We ask questions, listen for understanding, and assess candidates from the informed perspective of former executives. We have a genuine interest in your organization’s next leader. Learn what we do.

Kincannon & Reed

Our Team

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You’re looking for an impact player. Start by meeting ours.
We are a team of search professionals who know the value of qualified leadership, diversity, and the important role we play in the future of the food and agriculture industries – our reputation proves it.

Kincannon & Reed

Solutions And Expertise

Serving clients who feed the world and keep it healthy.
We’re a firm with a focus – specializing in delivering leaders. Our clients from across the globe are all types and sizes of organizations. If food and agriculture are part of your business model, we have principals with experience and connections in your industry.

Executive Roles in Which We Specialize
Whether you’re looking for a CEO, research leader, marketing strategist or operations head, Kincannon & Reed’s executive level search experience spans diverse functional roles.

Kincannon & Reed

News Briefings

Kincannon & Reed Appoints Director of Data and Analytics

Executive recruitment firm Kincannon & Reed has expanded with the addition of John Grisolano as director of data and analytics. “Our database of executives is critical for our ability to place leaders who feed the world and keep it healthy,” said David Turner, president of Kincannon & Reed. “Having someone like John leading our data strategy is key

Mastering the Online Interview

Global executive search firm Kincannon & Reed has been working remotely for more than 35 years facilitating video interviews long before it became a necessity. The firm recently shared with Hunt Scanlon Media some best practices to help clients and candidates prepare to engage remotely, present their best, and ultimately determine if this is someone you

Coming to Work with Higher Leadership Expectations

The virtualization of work has impacted more than the workday. It has impacted every level of business. Importantly, leaders are thinking differently about attracting, developing, and retaining talent. The new work environment has increased the competition for high performing talent. Hiring managers across the food and agriculture industries, for one, are re-designing strategies and thinking through new

Kincannon & Reed Recruits President for the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils 

After a four month search, executive recruitment firm Kincannon & Reed has placed Kailee Tkacz Buller as the new president of the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils (ISEO) in Washington, D.C. ISEO is a trade association representing the refiners of edible fats and oils in the U.S. Managing directors Paul Miller and Michael Cooper led the

Kincannon & Reed

Press Releases

K&R Places VP of Operations with Plant-Based Pharmaceutical Company

(April 2023) Biopharmaceutical Research Company (BRC) welcomed Lucas Zumstein as the organization’s new Vice President of Operations this week. Bringing over a decade of operations experience with him, Zumstein has spent the majority of his operations career in active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) development and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Previously he held roles with organizations such as Abzena,

K&R places Sustainability head at National Pork Board

(April 2023) Industry veteran Jamie Burr recently joined the National Pork Board as the organization’s new Chief Sustainability Officer. Burr’s background in the industry started in his youth, being born and raised on a hog farm. He spent the past two decades with Tyson foods in progressively senior roles, such as Director of Sustainability Implementation

K&R places CEO/Executive Director at Food Export Associations

(January 13, 2023) Earlier this week, Brendan Wilson assumed his new role as Executive Director & CEO of both Food Export – Midwest and Food Export – Northeast. In his new role with the non-profits, Wilson is responsible for the overall management of the combined organizations. He is tasked with developing strategic programming as well

K&R partners with SyAqua for successful CEO search

(December 2022) Earlier this month, SyAqua Group appointed Fred Kao as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer. With a 20-year history in the genetics industry, Kao has a proven track record of successfully growing businesses and building teams. Prior to joining SyAqua, he held roles with Amlan International – US, Cobb-Vantress – China and Aviagen

Kincannon & Reed

Multimedia

Food For Thought
Finding Resilience and Opportunity at WIA 2025
From Crisis to Clarity: Making Leadership a Strategic Priority in Ag
Employee Engagement: Why It Matters More Than Ever for Food & Ag Leaders
2025 Mid Year Global Talent Trends & Implications
Australia’s Executive Talent Crisis: Strategic Leadership in an Era of Scarcity
Is Your Executive Value Proposition Attracting Top Talent in Food & Agriculture?
The First 100 Days: Reframing Executive Onboarding to Accelerate Impact and Retention
Closing the Gap: Future-Proofing Leadership in Food & Ag
C-Suite Crisis: Why Finding the Right Leaders is Ag’s Biggest Challenge
Modern Milk, Modern Leadership: Why Talent is Dairy’s Next Competitive Edge
The AI-Powered Leader: Essential Strategies for the New Era
High Stakes, Fast Food: Leadership in QSR’s Complex Environment
Breaking New Ground: Insights in Building Food and Ag Leadership
Q1 Talent Trends & Implications for EMEA
Q1 Global Talent Trends & Implications
Beyond Innovation: Navigating A Shifting Agri-Food Landscape
Navigating Turbulence: Insights from the NGFA Annual Convention
Breaking Barriers: Empowering Women Leaders in Food and Agriculture
Authentic Leadership: A Catalyst for Success in the Evolving Dairy Industry
Year End Talent Trends & Implications for EMEA
Year End Global Talent Trends & Implications
Cultivating Change: The Essential Role of Leadership in Sustainable Agriculture
Driving Organizational Success: The Power of Communication and Collaboration
Elevating Your Leadership: The Power of Executive Search Partnerships
Unlocking Leadership Potential: The Value of Leadership Assessments
Driving Success: The Impact of Outside Board Directors
Mid Year EMEA Talent Trends & Implications
2024 Mid Year Talent Trends & Implications
Succession = Successful: The Importance of Succession Planning & Best Practices
Year End Global Talent Trends and Implications
The Impact of Purpose in Leadership
The ROI of Executive Coaching: Is it Worthwhile?
Inclusive Leadership: Three Actions for Successful Leaders
Human Capital Strategies of C-Suite Executives: The Future of Food and Ag
First Quarter Talent Trends and Implications
Optimism & Community Felt at Women In Ag summit
Future Food-Tech Event Highlights Sustainability, Scalability
Need for Adaptive Leadership, Innovative Solutions a Focus at World Agri-Tech Event
Five Talent Retention & Recruitment Strategies for Turbulent Times
Developing Leaders – The Role of an Executive Coach

To view all Kincannon & Reed Insights, please click here.

Case Studies:
Planting Seeds for Growth in a Biotech Leader
Blazing Trails for a Forestry Biotech Leader
High Profile Leader for A High Profile Enterprise
A Scientist vs. a Leader of Scientists
Finding a One-of-a-Kind Leader in a Vast Market
Searching the Seven Seas for Executive Talent

To view all Kincannon & Reed Case Studies, please click here.

The Impact of the Right Leader
Attracting the Right Leaders
Farm Foods Fact Podcast: The Shift In Food And Ag Labor Resources
Global & Industry Leaders