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First Non-Family CEO to Lead Miniat Family of Companies

Feb. 4, 2025
Brian Fox will take the reins of the fifth-generation company as Dave Miniat transitions to chairman emeritus.

The Miniat Family of Companies has appointed Brian Fox to be its new chief executive officer, the first non-family leader of the fifth-generation, family-owned Chicago-area business. Fox will start in his new role Feb. 10, 2025, and succeed Dave Miniat, who will transition to chairman emeritus after more than 30 years as CEO. He will continue to support the leadership team and industry relationships in the new role.

Fox most recently served as CEO of Richelieu Foods, and he previously had been CEO of Zentis U.S.A., a division of a 125-year-old, global, family-owned company that processed and refined fruit and other raw materials. Fox’s prior experience includes time spent at TreeHouse Foods, Conagra Foods and Ralcorp Holdings. During his time with Conagra, Fox helped pioneer the first U.S. cereal lineup free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives, the announcement noted.

The Miniat Family of Companies includes Ed Miniat LLC, which focuses on sous-vide beef, pork and poultry preparations, as well as South Chicago Packing LLC, which provides high-end specialty fats and oils for home chefs, foodservice operators, bakeries and other industrial companies.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.

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