Hormel Foods, Ocean Spray and GrubMarket announce senior leadership changes

Hormel Foods Corp. has created a new enterprise-wide chief marketing officer role and appointed Jason Levine to the position. The Fortune 500 branded food company said the new post is designed to strengthen marketing capabilities and accelerate its consumer-centric growth strategy across all business segments.

Levine brings more than 20 years of experience in consumer packaged goods, including nearly two decades at Mondelēz International, where he served as chief marketing officer for North America and led marketing for a multibillion-dollar portfolio that included major snack brands. He most recently held senior marketing roles at PIM Brands and other snack and dip companies.

According to Hormel Foods, Levine will focus on brand strategy, digital capabilities and enterprise-wide marketing platforms that can scale across channels and markets.

At Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., Tom Hayes, president and CEO, announced his retirement, effective March 2, 2026. The farmer-owned cooperative said it has started a comprehensive search for Hayes’ successor and that he will remain in an advisory role to the board of directors until a new leader is named. Hayes joined Ocean Spray during the COVID-19 pandemic and, according to the cooperative’s board chair, helped set a new strategic direction while improving processes, efficiencies and capital investments that supported year-over-year performance.

Ocean Spray said Hayes’ tenure has helped keep the cranberry brand competitive and innovative while reinforcing the cooperative’s focus on its roughly 700 family-farmer owners.

GrubMarket, a technology-focused player in the food supply chain and private food e-commerce, has appointed Jorge deNeve as chief legal officer. The company described itself as a technology and AI-driven provider for the American food supply chain and said the new appointment further strengthens its executive team as it scales its software, artificial intelligence and food businesses.

The announcement noted that deNeve brings more than two decades of experience in corporate governance, regulatory compliance and securities law. DeNeve will oversee GrubMarket’s legal function, with responsibility for governance, compliance and operational standards as the company expands its technology, AI and digital commerce platforms.