Smithfield Foods named Isham “Jay” Bennett to the newly created role of chief human resources officer, and promoted Tennille Checkovich to general counsel.
Shane Smith, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods, said, “I’m excited to welcome Jay to his new role. Jay’s human resources leadership in the manufacturing industry is unparalleled. look forward to his contributions to enhancing Smithfield’s high-performance culture aligned with our business strategy.”
Bennett, a senior human resources leader in manufacturing operations, will serve as Smithfield’s chief human resources officer, reporting to the president and chief executive officer. In this newly created role, Bennett is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive talent strategy that further aligns Smithfield’s business plan with its human resources function, and will lead the company’s recruiting, retention, training and development, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Prior to joining Smithfield, Bennett served as vice president of human resources for Lockheed Martin Corporation’s $16 billion Rotary and Mission Systems business, and as vice president of human resources for Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company. He previously served as vice president of human resources for Rolls-Royce plc, where he developed and executed people strategy for the £2 billion global defense aerospace business and held prior senior leadership positions with United Technologies Corporation and General Motors. Bennett holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from DePauw University and a Juris Doctor from Indiana University School of Law.
