The new CEO of Tyson Foods is on a roll. Tom Hayes has been in the top job only since January 1st but he’s already announced that the food giant will no longer use antibiotics in its flagship chicken products; he’s shaken up his executive leadership; he’s also looking for acquisitions.
Hayes tells Fortune’s Susie Gharib, that his predecessor, Donnie Smith, was “extraordinarily successful” at turning around the $41 billion company that is ranked number 66 on the Fortune 500. “There wasn’t anything that needed to be completely transformed,” he explains. But he goes on to say, “We constantly have to change. The consumer is constantly changing. So it’s the next level of growth we have to be focused on.”
So what is Hayes saying Tyson’s 113,000 employees to buy into change? “What I ask is that we just work together. Collaboration is the key to success at any large company,” says Hayes. “ And so when things don’t feel good, work with each other. Make sure that we’re taking advantage of the strong talent that we have around the table.”
