New general counsel to join Tyson Foods next month

Tyson Foods has recruited Amy Tu to serve as executive vice president and general counsel, effective December 11.

Tu will report directly to Tyson president and CEO Tom Hayes. She will succeed David Van Bebber, who joined Tyson in May 1986 as part of the Lane Processing acquisition and has served in this role since May 2008. Van Bebber will continue working with the company until May 11, 2018 to ensure a smooth transition, the firm states.

According to Tyson, Tu most recently worked at Boeing, having been with the aerospace company for the past 16 years. Most recently, she served as chief counsel for global law affairs in Washington, DC, with responsibilities including leading the anti-corruption practice group. She has also served as chief counsel for the commercial aviation services and the sales, contracts and marketing business units at Boeing commercial airplanes in Seattle.

A Boeing spokesperson did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Before joining Boeing, Tu served as international corporate counsel at Gap, and as international corporate counsel at Walmart.

Tyson’s portfolio of products and brands include Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park and Wright. It is headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas.

‘Amy is a proven executive whose extensive legal and corporate governance expertise is an excellent addition to our leadership team,’ Hayes says in a statement.

‘I want to thank David for his numerous contributions over the past 30 years, including his work as a member of our leadership team. He’s been a trusted adviser and leaves behind a distinguished career at Tyson Foods. On behalf of everyone at Tyson, I wish David well as he embarks on the next chapter of his life.’

A Tyson spokesperson did not have further details of Van Bebber’s plans.