A chief executive officer ( CEO ), also known as a chief executive or managing director , is the top-ranking corporate executive charged with the management of an organization , usually a company or a nonprofit organization .
57-472: Healthy Choice is the name of a brand of refrigerated and frozen foods owned by ConAgra Foods . ConAgra sells a broad array of dishes through its Healthy Choice brand, including frozen dinners, side dishes , cold cuts and other meats, canned soups , ice cream , bread , pasta sauce , and popcorn . In Canada, Healthy Choice is a brand of ConAgra Brands . In Australia, McCain Foods , a Canadian company, owns
114-402: A class action suit in 1995 levied against ConAgra, Hormel Foods , and Delta Pride Catfish for conspiring with other companies to fix the price of catfish . Two years later, ConAgra pleaded guilty in a federal case to spraying water on grain in its Peavey unit, fraudulently increasing the grain's weight to boost profits, and bribing federal officials. The company was charged $ 8.3 million for
171-465: A California Superior Court found that ConAgra and its co-defendants were liable in creating a public nuisance due to lead-based paint the companies sold. Ten local governments in California filed the suit and the court ordered Conagra, NL Industries and Sherwin-Williams to pay $ 1.15 billion to remove or abate the lead in homes located in those cities and counties. ConAgra was named a defendant in
228-488: A company's business decisions, including those in operations, marketing, business development , finance, human resources , etc. The use of the CEO title is not necessarily limited to describing the head of a company. For example, the CEO of a political party is often entrusted with fundraising, particularly for election campaigns. In some countries, there is a dual board system with two separate boards, one executive board for
285-424: A corporation or company typically reports to the board of directors and is charged with maximizing the value of the business, which may include maximizing the profitability , market share , revenue , or another financial metric. In the nonprofit and government sector, CEOs typically aim at achieving outcomes related to the organization's mission, usually provided by legislation . CEOs are also frequently assigned
342-402: A facade of charm and eloquence. Traits such as courage and risk-taking, generally considered desirable, are often found alongside these psychopathic tendencies. Tara Swart, a neuroscientist at MIT Sloan School of Management , has suggested that individuals with psychopathic traits thrive in chaotic environments and are aware that others do not. As a result, they may intentionally create chaos in
399-462: A formal delegation of authority regarding business administration . Typically, responsibilities include being an active decision-maker on business strategy and other key policy issues, as well as leader , manager, and executor roles. The communicator role can involve speaking to the press and to the public, as well as to the organization's management and employees; the decision-making role involves high-level decisions about policy and strategy. The CEO
456-508: A line of All Natural Entrees. To promote the changes, Healthy Choice spent between $ 900 million and $ 1.5 billion on a multimedia campaign that included advertisements with actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus featured in commercials directed by Christopher Guest . Other rebranding efforts included new packaging designs. This brand-name food or drink product–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . ConAgra Foods Conagra Brands, Inc. (formerly ConAgra Foods )
513-479: A popcorn consumer. The next day ConAgra Foods announced that it would soon remove diacetyl from its Jiffy Pop and Orville Redenbacher's popcorn products. In October 2007, Conagra asked stores to pull the Banquet and generic brand chicken and turkey pot pies due to 152 cases of Salmonella poisoning in 31 states being linked to the consumption of Conagra pot pies, with 20 people hospitalized. At that time, both
570-599: A source of criticism following a dramatic rise in pay relative to the average worker's wage . For example, the relative pay was 20-to-1 in 1965 in the US, but had risen to 376-to-1 by 2000. The relative pay differs around the world, and, in some smaller countries, is still around 20-to-1. Observers differ as to whether the rise is due to competition for talent or due to lack of control by compensation committees. In recent years, investors have demanded more say over executive pay. Lack of diversity amongst chief executives has also been
627-504: A source of criticism. In 2018, 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs were women. In 2023 the number rose to 10.4% of for Women CEO's of Fortune 500 companies . The reasons for this are explained or justified in various ways, and may include biological sex differences, male and female differences in Big Five personality traits and temperament, sex differences in psychology and interests, maternity and career breaks, hypergamy , phallogocentrism ,
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#1732779864186684-541: Is an American consumer packaged goods holding company headquartered in Chicago , Illinois . Conagra makes and sells products under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, and food service establishments. Based on its 2021 revenue, the company ranked 331st on the 2022 Fortune 500 . Conagra was founded in September 1919 as Nebraska Consolidated Mills (NCM) by Alva Kinney. The company
741-402: Is often used in lieu of chief executive officer. Business publicists since the days of Edward Bernays (1891–1995) and his client John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937) and even more successfully the corporate publicists for Henry Ford , promoted the concept of the " celebrity CEO". Business journalists have often adopted this approach, which assumes that the corporate achievements, especially in
798-418: Is sometimes included as one such subordinate executive officer, but, as suggested by Anthony Johndrow, CEO of Reputation Economy Advisors, it can also be seen as "simply another way to add emphasis to the role of a modern-day CEO – where they are both the external face of, and the driving force behind, an organization culture". In the US, the term "chief executive officer" is used primarily in business, whereas
855-427: Is tasked with implementing the goals, targets and strategic objectives as determined by the board of directors. As an executive officer of the company, the CEO reports the status of the business to the board of directors, motivates employees, and drives change within the organization. As a manager, the CEO presides over the organization's day-to-day operations. The CEO is the person who is ultimately accountable for
912-542: Is to prevent a conflict of interest and too much power being concentrated in the hands of one person. In the United States, the board of directors (elected by the shareholders ) is often equivalent to the supervisory board, while the executive board may often be known as the executive committee (the division/subsidiary heads and C-level officers that report directly to the CEO). In the United States, and in business,
969-678: The Child Hunger Ends Here campaign in 2013 that would donate up to 3 million meals equivalent to Feeding America by donating one meal for each code submitted to the campaign's website by consumers. Conagra recalled 19 million pounds of ground beef in July 2002 with E. coli bacterial contamination. It was the second-largest recall up to that time. That meat was linked to the illnesses of 19 people in six Western and Midwestern states. In February 2007, Conagra recalled jars of Peter Pan and Great Value brand peanut butter with
1026-552: The Dictionary says that the use of "CEO" as an acronym for a chief executive officer originated in Australia , with the first attestation being in 1914. The first American usage cited is from 1972. The responsibilities of an organization's CEO are set by the organization's board of directors or other authority, depending on the organization's structure. They can be far-reaching or quite limited, and are typically enshrined in
1083-552: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The charges involved a July 1999 Teamsters strike at a Gilroy Foods plant in King City, California , then owned by Basic Vegetable Products LP but later purchased by ConAgra. In August 2001, the company and union negotiated an end to the two-year strike with a new contract, but the recall of workers excluded some workers who were on leave at
1140-457: The 1990s, including Marie Callender's frozen product line in 1994 and GoodMark Foods in 1998. Also in 1998, ConAgra acquired several brands from RJR Nabisco , including Egg Beaters and Nabisco's table spread unit, which included margarines under the Parkay and Blue Bonnet brands. ConAgra rebranded as ConAgra Foods in 2000. The first half of the ensuing decade was marked by the sale of
1197-535: The CEO is also the president, is the vice president (VP). An organization may have more than one vice president, each tasked with a different area of responsibility (e.g., VP of finance, VP of human resources). Examples of subordinate executive officers who typically report to the CEO include the chief operating officer (COO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief strategy officer (CSO), chief marketing officer (CMO) and chief business officer (CBO). The public relations -focused position of chief reputation officer
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#17327798641861254-716: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health departments involved a large cluster of illnesses caused by Salmonella that identified these products" and stated that, "Nationally, at least 211 individuals from 35 states have become ill." From January 1 through December 31, 2007, the CDC identified a total of 401 cases in 41 states. Chief executive officer CEOs find roles in various organizations, including public and private corporations , nonprofit organizations , and even some government organizations (notably state-owned enterprises ). The governor and CEO of
1311-464: The Healthy Choice name. According to ConAgra's official corporate history, Healthy Choice came into being after then-ConAgra CEO Charles "Mike" Harper suffered a heart attack in 1985. Forced to dramatically alter his diet, he came up with the idea of a line of healthier frozen foods. In April 2009, ConAgra reintroduced Healthy Choice's line of frozen meals along with new products, including
1368-528: The UK, chief executive and chief executive officer are used in local government , where their position in law is described as the "head of paid service", and in business and in the charitable sector . As of 2013 , the use of the term director for senior charity staff is deprecated to avoid confusion with the legal duties and responsibilities associated with being a charity director or trustee, which are normally non-executive (unpaid) roles. The term managing director
1425-518: The USDA and Conagra decided in favor of a consumer advisory and against a recall. ConAgra said the issue stemmed from pies not being cooked thoroughly in older microwaves, and that the package's heating instructions would be changed to reflect different microwaves. However, the plant in Marshall , Missouri , where the pot pies were manufactured closed on October 11 as well. By October 12, a full recall
1482-466: The United States and employed approximately 18,600 people. It had net sales of $ 12.27 billion in fiscal year 2023 . The company is a member of the Fortune 500 . It is led by president and chief executive officer Sean M. Connolly. The nonprofit ConAgra Foods Foundation has pledged a five-year commitment of $ 10 million to Feeding America to fight child hunger. Additionally, ConAgra Foods founded
1539-422: The arena of manufacturing, are produced by uniquely talented individuals, especially the "heroic CEO". In effect, journalists celebrate a CEO who takes distinctive strategic actions. The model is the celebrity in entertainment, sports, and politics – compare the " great man theory ". Guthey et al. argues that "...these individuals are not self-made, but rather are created by a process of widespread media exposure to
1596-556: The brand from Procter & Gamble in 1997. NCM changed its name to ConAgra in 1971. The name is a combination of the Latin words con ("with") and agrī ("soil" or "earth"). It went public and began trading on the NYSE two years later. Losses suffered in 1974 from bad investments and commodities speculation had the company facing bankruptcy. ConAgra hired Pillsbury executive C. Michael Harper to be its chief operating officer in
1653-617: The case of a partnership , an executive officer is a managing partner, senior partner, or administrative partner. In the case of a limited liability company , an executive officer is any member, manager, or officer. Depending on the organization, a CEO may have several subordinate executives to help run the day-to-day administration of the company, each of whom has specific functional responsibilities referred to as senior executives, executive officers or corporate officers. Subordinate executives are given different titles in different organizations, but one common category of subordinate executive, if
1710-625: The case. It also settled a civil suit with farmers in Indiana for $ 2 million. During this period, ConAgra was also criticized for some of its business practices, including the demolition of the Jobbers Canyon Historic District to build the company's new headquarters, the company's use of pesticides, sanitary and labor practices in its meat processing divisions and the pricing of consumer goods. In 1987, Harper threatened to move ConAgra's headquarters out of Omaha unless
1767-578: The city approved the demolition of Jobbers Canyon, a warehouse district located along the Missouri River . The district had been declared a historical site and its demolition was opposed by historical preservation groups, but the city ultimately capitulated, razing the district in 1989. As of 1994, it was the largest destruction of a historic site in the United States. By 1992, ConAgra's annual sales had topped $ 21 billion. The company continued to make acquisitions and launch product lines throughout
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1824-498: The company created the Healthy Choice label, to market a line of frozen dinners. By the mid-1980s, ConAgra was vertically integrated across the food supply chain, selling fertilizer, tires and clothing; with companies for animal and crop harvesting, and for exporting and trading. ConAgra was found guilty of tampering with scales when measuring the weight of incoming birds from Alabama chicken farmers in 1989 and settled
1881-539: The company's fresh and refrigerated meat units, beginning with the sale of its majority stake in Swift & Company to Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst and Booth Creek Management in 2002. The Swift sale ended ConAgra's involvement in the fresh beef and pork industries. The same year, ConAgra joined a coalition of food producers and trade associations, including PepsiCo , General Mills , and CropLife International to defeat Oregon Ballot Measure 27 , which would have required
1938-545: The contaminated ConAgra pot pies, with 33 people hospitalized. Public interest groups criticized Conagra for the delay in issuing the recall, a decision which Conagra defended by saying the recall was a precaution. At the time of the recall, the USDA had still not identified the source of the Salmonella contamination. On October 17, the Colorado Department of Public Health reported that "An investigation by
1995-450: The day-to-day business and one supervisory board for control purposes (selected by the shareholders). In these countries, the CEO presides over the executive board and the chairperson presides over the supervisory board, and these two roles will always be held by different people. This ensures a distinction between management by the executive board and governance by the supervisory board. This allows for clear lines of authority. The aim
2052-478: The establishment of national labeling standards for genetically modified foods. In 2014, ConAgra acquired TaiMei Potato Industry Limited, an Inner Mongolian potato processor. ConAgra sold Ralcorp to TreeHouse Foods for $ 2.7 billion in 2015 and purchased Blake's All Natural Foods the same year. ConAgra spun off Lamb Weston into an independent company in 2016. During the 2000s and 2010s, ConAgra faced scrutiny for its environmental practices. On January 7, 2014,
2109-583: The establishment of the Duncan Hines brand of cake mixes in 1951 as a way to market more flour. It sold its Duncan Hines assets to Procter & Gamble in 1956. In 1957, NCM built its first mill outside the continental United States, constructing a plant in Puerto Rico . Conagra Brands would reacquire the Duncan Hines brand in 2018 through its acquisition of Pinnacle Foods , which had bought
2166-506: The executive officers are usually the top officers of a corporation, the chief executive officer (CEO) being the best-known type. The definition varies; for instance, the California Corporate Disclosure Act defines "executive officers" as the five most highly compensated officers not also sitting on the board of directors. In the case of a sole proprietorship , an executive officer is the sole proprietor. In
2223-562: The existence of old boy networks , tradition, and the lack of female role models in that regard. Some countries have passed laws mandating boardroom gender quotas. In 2023 Rockefeller Foundation awarded a grant to Korn Ferry to research strategies and then action a plan to help more women to become CEO's. There are contentious claims that a significant number of CEO's have psychopathic tendencies, often characterized by power-seeking behavior and dominance. These individuals can often conceal their ruthlessness and antisocial behavior behind
2280-463: The fall of 1974 and tasked him with stabilizing the company. Harper began selling what he deemed to be unnecessary buildings and plots of land owned by the company, as well as entire divisions that did not align with ConAgra's new direction as a company that primarily dealt with basic food items. By 1976, now chief executive officer Harper, sold 25 assets and reduced the company debt by $ 35 million. In 1981, ConAgra's gross sales topped $ 1 billion for
2337-427: The first time and Harper was named Chairman. ConAgra acquired approximately 200 companies over a 20-year period, including Banquet Foods in 1980, Peavey in 1982, Armour and Company in 1983, Monfort in 1987, Lamb Weston in 1988, and Beatrice Foods in 1990. The acquisitions of Monfort and Beatrice made ConAgra the world's largest meatpacker and second-largest food processor , respectively. During this time,
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2394-660: The labeling of genetically modified food in the state. In July 2004, six people were killed in a shooting inside the ConAgra Foods plant in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2006, the company sold its refrigerated meats divisions, including the Butterball , Eckrich , and Armour brands, to Smithfield Foods for $ 575 million. The same year, the company closed its Hunt-Wesson operations in Irvine, California , and split
2451-528: The outbreak so the government could supply Victim Impact Statements for inclusion in the pre-sentence report. On September 4, 2007, the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association recommended reduction of diacetyl in butter-like flavorings, such as those used in popcorn, due to cases of the potentially fatal disease bronchiolitis obliterans or "Popcorn Workers's Lung" appearing among plant workers exposed to diacetyl fumes, as well as in one case that involved
2508-442: The outbreak. Since Peter Pan (but not Great Value) is only made at one plant, the recall included all Peter Pan jars sold in the U.S. between May 2006 and February 2007. In May 2015, the company agreed to plead guilty to releasing products tainted with Salmonella into interstate commerce. Sentencing was delayed by U.S. District Court Judge Willie Louis Sands , who ordered nationwide newspaper advertisements searching for victims of
2565-409: The point that their actions, personalities, and even private lives function symbolically to represent significant dynamics and tensions prevalent in the contemporary business atmosphere". Journalism thereby exaggerates the importance of the CEO and tends to neglect harder-to-describe broader corporate factors. There is little attention to the intricately organized technical bureaucracy that actually does
2622-473: The product code "2111" on the lid, because they were linked to a Salmonella outbreak. Ultimately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documented more than 628 individuals who were stricken with Salmonella poisoning in 47 states that could be traced back to Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter. Of those, 20% were hospitalized, according to the CDC, which reported no deaths associated with
2679-836: The role of the main manager of the organization and the highest-ranking officer in the C-suite . The term "chief executive officer" is attested as early as 1782, when an ordinance of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States of America used the term to refer to governors and other leaders of the executive branches of each of the Thirteen Colonies . In draft additions to the Oxford English Dictionary published online in 2011,
2736-551: The suit as it had assumed the liabilities of W.P. Fuller & Co. following a series of mergers; after multiple appeals, the company reached a settlement amount of $ 305 million in 2019. ConAgra also drew attention for its labor and health practices. A company plant in Colorado had been cited numerous times from 1999 to 2002 for violating worker safety. In May 2003, ConAgra and its subsidiary Gilroy Foods agreed to pay $ 1.5 million to settle charges of hiring discrimination brought by
2793-409: The term "executive director" is used primarily in the not-for-profit sector. These terms are generally mutually exclusive and refer to distinct legal duties and responsibilities. The CEO is the highest-ranking executive in a company, making corporate decisions, managing operations, allocating resources, and serving as the main point of communication between the board of directors and the company. In
2850-660: The time of the purchase including those out due to work injury or pregnancy. Others were denied jobs due to a history of previous injury or illness, despite their having no restrictions on returning to work, according to the EEOC. Also according to the EEOC, most of the 39 workers who were excluded from the recall process had been working at the plant for "10 to 20 years, some even longer," and were primarily Hispanic and female. In 2016, ConAgra cut 1,500 jobs, moved its headquarters to Chicago , Illinois , and rebranded as "Conagra Brands". On September 22, 2017, Conagra announced that it
2907-696: The transaction was completed on January 25, 2021. In February 2022, ConAgra paid $ 18 million to settle a class action from over 8,000 food-processing workers in California who argued that the company had violated California wage law. Conagra produces a wide array of food products including cooking oil , frozen dinners , hot cocoa , hot dogs and peanut butter . Major brands include Act II , Hunt's , Healthy Choice , Marie Callender's , Udi's Gluten-Free , Orville Redenbacher's , Slim Jim , Reddi-wip , Egg Beaters , Pam , Angie's Boom Chicka Pop , Hebrew National , Chef Boyardee , and Bertolli ready meals. As of 2023, Conagra had 38 manufacturing facilities in
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#17327798641862964-454: The unit between Omaha and Naperville, Illinois . In 2008, ConAgra purchased Watts Brothers Farms from Don Watts and purchased Ralcorp in 2012. Also in 2012, the company joined with PepsiCo, Nestlé and other food firms to defeat Proposition 37 , a California ballot measure which would have mandated the labeling of genetically modified foods. The following year, Conagra joined with Walmart and approximately 20 other companies to seek
3021-457: The work. Hubris sets in when the CEO internalizes the celebrity and becomes excessively self-confident in making complex decisions. There may be an emphasis on the sort of decisions that attract the celebrity journalists . Research published in 2009 by Ulrike Malmendier and Geoffrey Tate indicates that "firms with award-winning CEOs subsequently underperform, in terms both of stock and of operating performance". Executive compensation has been
3078-802: The workplace. This perspective is explored in the book Snakes in Suits , co-authored by Robert D. Hare . However, Scott Lilienfeld has argued that the attention given to psychopathy in the workplace by both the media and scholars has far exceeded the available scientific evidence. Emilia Bunea, writing in Psychology Today , has linked psychopathic traits in managers to workplace bullying , employee dissatisfaction, and turnover intentions. Despite this, Bunea cautions that excessive worry about supposed psychopathic managers could discourage individuals from pursuing careers in corporations and deter employees from addressing issues with difficult bosses. In
3135-565: Was a conglomerate of four grain milling companies headquartered in Grand Island , Nebraska . The company moved its headquarters to Omaha, Nebraska , in 1922 following the purchase of Updike Mill. That year, NCM posted a profit of $ 175,000, its first profit since its founding. In 1941, the company opened a mill in Decatur , Alabama . It was NCM's first plant outside of Nebraska. After researching new uses for its flour, NCM funded
3192-480: Was acquiring Angie's Artisan Treats , maker of Angie's Boomchickapop popcorn. The company announced the acquisition was completed on October 23, 2017. On June 27, 2018, Conagra Brands announced the acquisition of Pinnacle Foods for $ 8.1 billion. The acquisition closed on October 26, 2018. On December 8, 2020, Conagra announced that it was selling the Peter Pan brand to Post Holdings . The company announced
3249-451: Was announced, affecting all varieties of frozen pot pies sold under the brands Banquet, Albertson's , Food Lion , Great Value, Hill Country Fare , Kirkwood , Kroger , Meijer , and Western Family . The recalled pot pies included all varieties in 7-oz. single-serving packages bearing the number P-9 or "Est. 1059" printed on the side of the package. By October 14, 174 cases of Salmonella poisoning in 32 states were linked to consumption of
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