Hormel Foods Announces Key Leadership Appointments in Retail Business Unit

Paul Peil promoted to the role of Vice President of Marketing for Fresh and Ready Meats
Christie Crouch joins company as Vice President of Marketing for Snacking and Entertaining

AUSTIN, Minn., July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company, today announced two leadership appointments in its Retail business segment. Paul Peil, a 35-year veteran with the company, has been promoted to the role of vice president of marketing for Fresh and Ready Meats. Christie Crouch, a seasoned marketing executive with a strong track record in the food industry, joins the company as vice president of marketing for Snacking and Entertaining.

In his new role, Peil will oversee fresh pork, Jennie-O, Hormel^® Cure 81^® brand, and the deli category for Retail customers. 

"Paul's deep institutional knowledge combined with his ability to lead high-performing teams and deliver strong results makes him an ideal fit to lead our Fresh and Ready Meats vertical," said John Ghingo, president of Hormel Foods. "His leadership will be instrumental as we continue to elevate our presence and advance our Retail strategy."    

Crouch will lead all brand-building initiatives for the company's portfolio of snacking and entertaining brands including Planters^®, Corn Nuts^®, Hormel^® pepperoni and Hormel Gatherings^®.

"We are thrilled to welcome Christie to the Hormel Foods team," Ghingo said. "She is a transformational leader with a proven track record of revitalizing brands, launching breakthrough innovation, and delivering sustained business results. Her strategic mindset and deep expertise in consumer marketing will be invaluable as we continue to grow our snacking and entertaining business."

About Paul Peil
Peil joined Hormel Foods in 1989 as a sales trainee and went on to hone a successful career with a focus on meat products sales. He advanced through positions of retail sales representative, account executive and district sales manager. He was named a national accounts manager for fresh pork in 1997 and later led fresh-meat sales as a director beginning in 2012. In 2019, Peil was named director of sales for the retail division of Jennie-O. He assumed his current position as assistant vice president of sales for Value-Added Meats in 2022. Peil graduated from the University of Dubuque, in Dubuque, Iowa, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. 

About Christie Crouch
Crouch brings more than two decades of experience in brand strategy, innovation and general management to Hormel Foods. She most recently served as vice president and general manager at Conagra Brands leading a portfolio of refrigerated and frozen brands, where she led the integration and growth of the Birds Eye brand, driving innovation, refining the assortment and sharpening marketing activation to strengthen its position in the frozen category. Earlier in her career, she held key marketing roles at Kraft Foods and Kellogg's. A certified public accountant by training, Crouch holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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 across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include PLANTERS^®, SKIPPY^®, SPAM^®, HORMEL^® NATURAL CHOICE^®, APPLEGATE^®, JUSTIN'S^®, 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.

Contact:  Media Relations
               Hormel Foods
               [email protected]

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SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation