John R. Tyson has been named to the board of Winrock International.
Tyson is one of two new members named to the board. The other new member is Dr. Ruth Oniang’o, a professor of nutrition, board chair of the Sasakawa Africa Association and former member of parliament in Kenya.
Tyson serves as the chief sustainability officer for Tyson Foods Inc., which he joined in 2019. In this role, he heads up the Springdale-based company’s sustainability strategies, pushing toward a “more sustainable protein system,” according to Tyson’s corporate website.
He also oversees the company’s animal welfare, environmental and social responsibility divisions.
Before joining Tyson Foods, he held roles at J.P. Morgan in investment banking and as a private equity and venture capital investor. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and an MBA from Stanford University.
“We are delighted to welcome Ruth and John to our Board of Directors,” Winrock president and CEO Rodney Ferguson said in a statement. “They bring impressive talents to our organization and we are thrilled to have them aboard. Dr. Ruth Oniang’o is one of the pioneering African women in nutrition and agricultural development and the long-time chair of the Sasakawa Africa Association. John Tyson is an energetic leader who is driving positive change for the global food system in his role at one of the world’s largest food companies. Ruth and John bring exceptional breadth and depth to our Board. I am also pleased that staff members suggested both Ruth and John as potential new Board members. Plainly, this kind of staff involvement makes us stronger as an organization.”
In total, there are 21 individuals on the Winrock International board, including Tyson and Oniang’o. Board members include Winrock president and CEO Rodney Ferguson, William Bumpers, Suzanne Siskel, Jerry Adams, Samar Ali, Jason Bordoff, David Braman, Earl E. Devaney, Jude Kearney, Richard Leach, John M. Nees, Peter M. O’Neill, Will Rockefeller, Paloma Adams-Allen, Saud Siddique, Nanette Medved-Po, Thomas C. Green, Lisa Milton, and Tuan Nguyen.
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