Former Tyson Foods executive Melanie Boulden was appointed to the Cal-Maine Foods Board of Directors as an independent director, effective August 11.
“We are delighted to welcome Melanie Boulden to our Board of Directors as an independent director,” said Dolph Baker, chairman of the Cal-Maine Foods board and the company’s former CEO. “As a seasoned Fortune 500 senior executive working with leading global food brands and consumer goods, she is an ideal fit for Cal-Maine Foods and our strategic vision. As we continue to expand our market reach and diversify our product portfolio, we will benefit from her extensive management and marketing experience.”
Boulden will serve until the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, after which she will stand for reelection as a Class I Director to serve for a three-year term. Boulden will join the Compensation, Audit, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees, effective September 1.
She brings to Cal-Maine Foods expertise in the food and beverage industry and nearly three decades of global business management, brand-building and experience at The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods and most recently Tyson Foods, where she remains a consultant.
Boulden joined Tyson Foods in February 2023 as the chief growth officer (CGO). Following the resignation of Tyson Prepared Foods President Stewart Glendinning seven months later, Boulden agreed to take on that role in addition to remaining the CGO.
As president of Prepared Foods, Boulden had full profit and loss (P&L) responsibility, leading a multibillion-dollar retail, foodservice and ecommerce portfolio, which included brands, such as Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm and Ball Park. In that role, she was responsible for several manufacturing facilities and more than 19,000 team members.
As Tyson's CGO, she led innovation, research and development, consumer insights and analytics, demand planning, marketing communications, and corporate communications across the enterprise.
Boulden was eventually succeeded as Prepared Foods president by Kyle Narron in 2024. In May, Tyson announced that Boulden was retiring and Kristina Lambert would be the new CGO, with Boulden remaining a consultant to ensure a smooth transition.
Prior to her time with Tyson, Boulden held roles as chief marketing officer of the North America operating unit of The Coca-Cola Company, leading a multibillion-dollar brand portfolio consisting of more than 20 brands; President of the Still Beverages business unit at Coca-Cola North America, leading the water, sports drinks, tea and coffee businesses; and President and General Manager of Venturing and Emerging Brands.
Boulden’s earlier corporate experience includes senior global marketing roles at Reebok, Crayola, Kraft Foods and Henkel Consumer Goods. She currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Adobe Inc. She holds degrees from Iowa State University and the University of Iowa.
Sherman Miller, president and CEO of Cal-Maine Foods, said: “We believe Melanie’s background in prepared foods will be especially invaluable and will support the ongoing growth and development of our Meadowcreek Foods, Crepini Foods and Echo Lake Foods operations. Her impressive history as an innovative leader focused on operational excellence aligns well with our corporate culture and will complement the work and experience of our other board members. We are confident she will make an immediate contribution to our board of directors, and we look forward to working together as we continue to execute our growth strategy.”
Cal-Maine Foods is the world’s largest feed producer and the world’s 84th largest feed producer.
