Conagra Brands has appointed John Brase as president and CEO, effective June 1. Brase will also join the company’s board of directors. He succeeds Sean Connolly, who is stepping down after more than a decade leading the Chicago-based food company.
Brase most recently served as president and COO of The J.M. Smucker Co., where he oversaw U.S. retail, international and away-from-home businesses along with sales, operations and supply chain. Before Smucker, he spent approximately 30 years at Procter & Gamble, rising to SVP and general manager of P&G’s $6 billion North America Family Care business, which includes brands such as Charmin, Bounty, Puffs and Pampers.
“John’s track record of driving top- and bottom-line performance, building brands across multiple consumer-packaged goods categories, leveraging advantaged business systems and leading inclusive, results-driven cultures is exceptional,” said Richard H. Lenny, independent chair of Conagra’s board of directors.
Connolly’s Legacy
Connolly became Conagra’s CEO 11 years ago and led the company’s transformation into what he described as a pure-play branded food company. Key moves under his leadership included the $10.9 billion acquisition of Pinnacle Foods in 2018, which added Birds Eye, Duncan Hines and other brands to the portfolio, as well as the divestiture of non-core assets. He also guided the company through the pandemic and a period of significant inflation and supply chain disruption.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished throughout my tenure at Conagra,” Connolly said. “I’m confident that the Conagra team, under John’s leadership, will build on the foundation we’ve established.”
Conagra Brands’ portfolio includes Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender’s, Reddi-wip and Slim Jim. The company generated fiscal 2025 net sales of nearly $12 billion.