USMEF Announces Chief Executive Succession Plan

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), a non-profit trade association working to create new opportunities and develop existing markets for U.S. beef, pork, lamb and veal, announced that Philip M. Seng will step down as USMEF president and CEO on November 30, 2017. To ensure an orderly transition, Seng will remain with the organization as CEO emeritus until July 2018.

USMEF’s succession planning process began last year, and Boyden Global Executive Search has been retained to help identify a successor to Seng.

Seng joined the USMEF staff as Asia director in 1982, became the vice president of international programs in 1988, and was named president and chief operating officer in January 1990. He is fluent in Japanese, played a central role in opening the Japanese beef market, is an authority on Japan’s complex distribution system and has worked closely with both industry and government officials in Japan and throughout the world. Seng has been recognized as a leading voice and advocate for the international meat trade over the past 35 years. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame in 2009 and was recognized by National Provisioner as one of 25 industry icons who made a significant impact since 1991 in conjunction with the publication’s 125th anniversary.

“Under Phil’s leadership, USMEF has contributed to tremendous growth in U.S. red meat exports,” said Bruce Schmoll, chair of the USMEF board of directors. “He has been instrumental in building the organization from the ground up. Today USMEF is a global network of experienced professionals whose expertise and market intelligence assist U.S. meat exporters in expanding their international presence and increasing profitability at every level of the supply chain. To say we have big shoes to fill is a vast understatement.”

“We are confident that the orderly search process we are now undertaking will ensure a smooth transition for USMEF and all of our industry stakeholders” said Roel Andriessen, USMEF’s immediate past chair and head of its search committee. “As we look forward, we intend to identify a leader who will build on USMEF’s strong success and chart the organization’s future growth.”

Interested candidates for the position of USMEF president may contact Lindsay Bray Landsberg of Boyden Global Executive Search at 312-565-1300 or llandsberg@boyden.com. A position description is available online.

USMEF staff contact is Janel Domurat, senior vice president, operations, at 303-623-6328 or jdomurat@usmef.org.