Simmons Foods announced this week that Joel Sappenfield has joined the company as president of Simmons Prepared Foods. In this role, Sappenfield will be responsible for all aspects of Simmons’ poultry business including operations, sales and marketing.

“Joel’s nearly 30-year legacy of performance makes him the right person to grow Simmons Prepared Foods,” said David Jackson, chief operating officer of Simmons Foods. “We are looking forward to putting his leadership experience to work in our poultry and prepared foods business.”

Sappenfield was most recently the president of Cobb-Vantress, the world’s longest established poultry breeding company. Sappenfield joined Tyson Foods in 1990, working as a front-line manager in poultry operations in Missouri and Arkansas. Prior to being named president at Cobb-Vantress in 2016, Sappenfield was senior vice president of the bakery division from 2014 to 2016; general manager of the IQF/Cornish business from 2011 to 2014; vice president of operations from 2006 to 2010; vice president of poultry and prepared food sales from 2004 to 2006; and director of poultry sales from 2000 to 2004.

Sappenfield graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University earning a bachelor’s degree in finance and spent one year as a commodity broker in Oklahoma City before joining Tyson Foods in 1990.

Jackson added, “We are excited to have Joel aboard as we continue to strengthen our teams and position our business for strong performance in 2021.”