Wayne-Sanderson Announces CEO Retirement, Names Successor

Clint Rivers, president and CEO of Wayne-Sanderson Farms, will retire at the end of the company’s fiscal year on March 31, 2025, as announced by the company today. Current chief operating officer Kevin McDaniel will take the reins from Rivers on Apr. 1, 2025. Rivers will continue to serve as executive chairman of the board for the company for the 2026 fiscal year.

Rivers joined then-Wayne Farms in 2012 as vice president and general manager of the Fresh Business Unit, was named COO in 2014 and president and CEO in 2017. He was named chairman of the Wayne Farms board in 2018. He oversaw the massive merger of Wayne Farms with Sanderson Farms in 2022 and has guided the company through that transition since. Prior to his time at Wayne Farms, Rivers had worked for various poultry companies for more than 40 years, including serving as president of Foodservice and Supply Chain at Perdue Farms, as well as COO and president & CEO for Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.

McDaniel was promoted to COO of Wayne Farms in 2021 and held that role through the merger. Prior to that, he was senior director of Fresh Operations, as well as vice president and general manager of the Fresh Business Unit. He brings more than three decades of industry experience to the role, having also served as president of Aviagen North America and in senior roles with OK Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.