Founders, who with family and employees own the energy-bar company, will remain on Clif Bar & Company's board of directors.

May 9, 2020

3 Min Read
Sally Grimes, Clif Bar CEO, effective June 1, 2020; previously group president at Tyson Foods.
Clif Bar

Clif Bar & Company has named Sally Grimes, a former group president for Tyson Foods, as the company’s new chief executive officer, effective June 1.

Grimes joins Emeryville, California-based Clif Bar as the energy-bar category leader prepares for the next stage of growth. Grimes brings 25 years' experience as a food industry leader to Clif’s purpose-driven “Five Aspiration” business model, focusing on sustaining people, community, planet, brands and business.

With the appointment of Grimes, Clif Bar founder, owners and current co-CEOs Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford will remain on the company’s board of directors.

Grimes most recently served as group president at Tyson Foods, where she was responsible for the $10 billion prepared foods business. For fiscal year 2019, she received total compensation of $4.14 million, including a base salary of $848,539, according to the company's proxy report for the Feb. 6, 2020, annual shareholders meeting filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Tyson's highest-ranking female executive, she drove record growth and spearheaded the development of some of the company’s most successful and innovative initiatives.

Clif Bar founder, owners and current co-CEOs Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford

“Growth has a broader meaning at Clif Bar. To us, it’s an opportunity to take care of people, be of service to our communities and help build a more equitable and sustainable food system,” Erickson said. “Sally’s passion for what makes Clif unique will benefit our company culture and her track record for innovative thinking will help take us to the next level. We are thrilled to have Sally leading us forward.”

“I am honored to join this extraordinary company at a time when people are looking to brands to lead by example, something Clif Bar has been doing for nearly 30 years,” Grimes said. “Clif is in a unique position to not only innovate, but also drive meaningful change in our food system. Their focus on the long game is inspiring and offers endless potential. I can’t wait to get started.”

Grimes joined Tyson Foods when it acquired Hillshire Brands. There, Grimes was chief innovation officer and president of the gourmet foods group.

She previously served as global vice president of Sharpie/Papermate for Newell Brands and an assistant brand manager at Kraft Foods. She earned her masters of business administration at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

She announced in February 2019 that she would leave Tyson Foods when a successor was named. According to proxy report for the 2020 annual shareholders meeting, she resigned from her position as group president on Aug. 12, 2019, and intended to serve as executive vice president until Dec. 31 of that year. She is scheduled to receive her base salary for 24 months following her leave from the company.

Erickson founded Clif Bar nearly 30 years ago to make a better energy bar with nutritious, high quality ingredients. Today, Clif Bar has a wide offering of organic, plant-based energy foods including its flagship CLIF brand, Clif Kid and LUNA. It remains family- and employee-owned, and committed to sustaining its People, Community, Planet, Brands and Business for the long term.

Because Clif Bar is not a publicly traded company, it is not obligated to release Grimes' compensation package.

 

Source: Clif Bar

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