Kincannon & Reed Recruits CFO and CHRO for Riceland Foods
June 19, 2023 – Executive recruitment firm Kincannon & Reed, which exclusively focuses on food, agribusiness, and the related life sciences, recently recruited Craig Parr as CFO and Lionel Riley as CHRO of farmer-owned rice and soybean cooperative Riceland Foods. As the organization’s new CFO, Mr. Parr’s expertise is expected to be instrumental as the organization continues to grow, said the search firm. He is responsible for developing and leading the execution of the cooperative’s capital plan in addition to ensuring the financial well-being of the organization.
“A visionary that executes on a tactical level, Craig is a relationship-builder with a passion for the industry,” said Ed Yuhas, managing director at Kincannon & Reed. “He brings a collaborative leadership style and immense attention to detail with him to Riceland.”
Mr. Parr most recently served as CFO of Omaha Steaks. Some of his other roles in his decades-long career include SVP of finance, chief risk officer, and VP of risk management and food ingredient supply for companies such as Flowers Foods and The Andersons.
As CHRO, Mr. Riley will partner with the senior leadership team at Riceland to build best-in-class, employee centric human resources strategies, and processes. A significant portion of Riley’s responsibilities will center on executing talent management strategies, maintaining the strong entrepreneurial culture of the organization and championing DEI efforts.
Mr. Riley brings two decades of professional HR experience across diverse industries with him to Riceland, including with the U.S. Air Force. He has held roles such as VP of people and culture and head of talent management while simultaneously serving in the military. He currently holds a squadron commander position.
“Lionel has led the charge for human resource transformation in several organizations and brings a demonstrated track record of success in HR strategy,” said Sally Day, managing director at Kincannon & Reed. “His breadth of expertise and ability to connect with all audiences of all levels will serve him well at Riceland.”
Founded in 1921, Riceland Foods is an agricultural marketing cooperative providing its 5,500 farmer-members with grain storage, processing, and marketing services for rice and soybeans in Arkansas and Missouri. The coop operates six rice mills as well as a soybean crushing and refining facility. As a major exporter, Riceland products are sold nationwide and to 75 international destinations.
Serving the Food, Agribusiness, and the Related Life Sciences Sectors
Founded in 1981, Kincannon & Reed serves clients throughout the world from locations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The firm is based in Arlington, VA. Kincannon & Reed’s mission is: “We recruit leaders for organizations that feed the world and keep it healthy.”
Related: Kincannon & Reed Recruits CEO for Burcon NutraScience Corporation
Mr. Yuhas combines his search expertise and 30 years of industry experience with organizations such as Mars Inc., Nestle USA, Spectrum Brands, Borden, Aurora Foods, and private equity-backed start-ups when identifying and assessing future organizational leaders. His areas of expertise include CPG, food and ingredients, and pet food.
Kincannon & Reed Recruits CEO for Top Ag
Kincannon & Reed recently placed Jeff Hendricks as the new CEO of Southwestern Illinois cooperative Top Ag. “A strategic thinker with demonstrated success, Jeff is a proven leader that welcomes accountability,” said Jim Gerardot, managing partner at Kincannon & Reed. “Jeff is an effective communicator with the ability to work in the details as well as seeing the big picture.” Mr. Hendricks joins Top Ag with nearly two decades of professional experience – more than half of those within the cooperative system. He most recently served as vice president of agronomy at Crystal Valley Coop in Minnesota.
Based in Ohio, Ms. Day is part of the firm’s food and ingredients team. Prior to joining Kincannon & Reed, Ms. Day was vice president, corporate purchasing for the J.M. Smucker Co. Her tenure at J.M. Smucker also included responsibility for the leadership and organizational development strategy, establishing foundational elements of talent management, organization development, and leadership and employee development. Previous to her role at J.M. Smucker, Ms. Day held leadership positions with Bestfoods, a division of Unilever.
Recent Search
Kincannon & Reed recently recruited James Burr as the chief sustainability officer of National Pork Board. “Jamie brings an innate ability to communicate across audiences and is known for being a collaborative leader who instills trust,” said Ms. Day. “His deep foundational knowledge of this sector paired with his strong network of industry experts will prove extremely beneficial in his new role.”
“Jamie is a relationship builder with a demonstrated track record of success in this industry,” said Jon Leafstedt, managing partner. “He is a highly strategic thinker that excels in the development and implementation of programs on a large scale, making him an exceptional fit for the National Pork Board.”
Related: Kincannon & Reed Recruits CEO for California Agricultural Leadership Foundation
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
