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Kiolbassa organic beef sausage, chervil scrambled eggs, and broccoli

Kiolbassa Smoked Meats Announces Executive Leadership Moves

June 2, 2025
Current president Bill Wagner moves to new executive role, while Michael Johnson will take over as the company’s new president.

San Antonio, Texas-based Kiolbassa Smoked Meats is making some leadership changes effective July 1, 2025, announcing Michael Johnson as the new president of the company and the transition of current president, Bill Wagner, to the newly created executive vice-chairman position. Further, Jerry Carnes, vice president of sales, will add management responsibilities and join the company’s senior team.

Michael Kiolbassa, CEO and chairman of the board, said Johnson is the “ideal person” to guide Kiolbassa moving forward, noting that Johnson has grown with the company, from a summer intern to an executive leader.

Johnson began his journey with Kiolbassa on a full-time basis 18 years ago after earning an MBA from Texas Tech University. He has held numerous roles in that time, including director of marketing and senior vice president of organizational development & finance. He most recently served as chief revenue and marketing officer.

Johnson helped integrate Values-Based Leadership and the Great Game of Business into the company’s culture, and he also played a major role in Kiolbassa’s Lean Manufacturing Principles integration efforts.

Wagner became the company’s first non-family member president in July 2022, and in his new role, he will serve as a strategic advisor to the senior team, focused especially on mentoring the finance department and supporting long-term planning.

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.