Tyson Foods Inc. said Curt Calaway has been named CFO, permanently replacing company heir John R. Tyson.
Calaway, who has been with Tyson since 2006, had already taken over as interim CFO in June after the great-grandson of Tyson Foods’ founder was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The change is effective immediately, the company said in a statement.
The meat producer said John Tyson “remains with the company but is currently on health-related leave.”
The decision further raises questions about the future of John Tyson, who has been considered a potential successor to CEO Donnie King at the family-controlled meat empire.
Only a few months after being named CFO in 2022, the executive gained national attention when a woman found him asleep in her home in northwestern Arkansas, leading to charges of public intoxication and criminal trespass. At the time, the executive pleaded guilty and paid a fine, receiving support from the board of directors. After his June drunk-driving arrest, the company suspended him.
John Tyson has pleaded not guilty to charges of driving while intoxicated. A pretrial hearing for the case has been scheduled for Sept. 25, a manager at the prosecutor’s office in Fayetteville said this week.
Tyson Foods has jumped 20% this year amid a rebound in profits.