Who’s Hired and Who’s Fired: February 2026 Supply Chain Leadership Moves
- Hannah Kohr
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
February delivered a focused set of confirmed supply chain leadership transitions across food manufacturing, container shipping, and consumer goods supply operations. Rather than sweeping overhauls at global logistics giants, the month reflected structural reinforcement in sectors where execution discipline, fleet modernization, and operational resilience remain paramount.
Hormel Foods Names New Chief Supply Chain Officer
Hormel Foods appointed Will Bonifant as Group Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, effective March 9, 2026. He will oversee global procurement, manufacturing, planning, logistics, engineering, and supply chain innovation. Bonifant joins from The Hershey Company, where he spent more than 15 years and most recently served as VP of manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain strategy for a 20-plant North American network. The company did not specify a direct predecessor.
The move reinforces how large CPG manufacturers continue centralizing end-to-end supply ownership under proven operators amid ongoing cost and service pressures. Source: https://www.hormelfoods.com/newsroom/press-releases/hormel-foods-names-will-bonifant-group-vice-president-and-chief-supply-chain-officer/
Ocean Network Express Announces CEO Succession Plan Ocean Network Express (ONE) announced that Till Ole Barrelet will join as Chief Executive Officer-Designate on May 1, 2026, succeeding Jeremy Nixon as CEO effective July 1, 2026. Nixon, founding CEO since ONE's inception in 2018, will transition to Senior Advisor. Barrelet brings over 20 years of maritime and logistics experience, most recently as CEO of Emirates Shipping Line (ESL), with expertise in ship owning, financing, container shipping, and trade across Asia, Middle East, Europe, and Africa.
The succession includes a new Executive Management Team structure with the CEO and seven division representatives, plus six regional leaders reporting to the CEO, to enhance global matrix collaboration. This planned transition underscores ONE's focus on growth, operational excellence, and advancing its ONE2030 strategic priorities following Nixon's transformation of the merged Japanese carriers into a unified major liner operator with over 260 vessels and 2+ million TEU capacity.
J.M. Smucker Overhauls Supply Chain Leadership
J.M. Smucker Co. promoted Rob Ferguson to the newly created role of Chief Product Supply Officer and EVP of Coffee, Pet, and Away from Home business units, effective February 9, 2026. Ferguson, previously SVP and GM of Coffee and Procurement, now oversees operations, distribution, supply chain, procurement, commodity hedging, quality assurance, R&D, and cost/productivity programs, including the Transformation Office.
The changes follow the elimination of the COO role and retirements of several supply chain executives (including SVP Operations Randy Day and SVP Information Services & Supply Chain Bryan Hutson). The company is searching for a new SVP of Operations and Supply Chain, plus a new SVP of Science and Technical Community. These moves emphasize strategic focus on profitability, earnings growth, and execution in a competitive CPG environment.
What February Signals
February 2026 produced no headline reshuffles at major global 3PLs but highlighted targeted transitions: CPG firms installing experienced CSCOs and overhauling supply structures for efficiency, while a leading container liner executed a smooth CEO handover to drive next-phase growth and resilience. The crisis-driven visibility of supply chain leadership remains. The current phase is about structural efficiency, strategic succession, capital discipline, and long-term network + operational resilience rather than reactive disruption management.
For tips, leaks or anonymous sourcing: editor@thesupplychainer.com
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