Tyson CFO Pleads Not Guilty to Public Intoxication, Trespassing Charges

Last month Mr. Tyson was arrested after local police said he was found asleep in the wrong Fayetteville, Ark. house. The 32-year-old executive has twice apologized for the incident, saying it doesn’t reflect his or the company’s values, and that he would seek counseling for his alcohol use. The company has said its board is reviewing the incident.

“I’m embarrassed and I want to let you know that I take full responsibility for my actions,” Mr. Tyson said on a Nov. 14 earnings call with analysts a week after spending an early Sunday morning in jail on Nov. 6. “I am committed to making sure that this never happens again.”

Mr. Tyson was appointed in late September as CFO of Tyson, the biggest U.S. meat company by sales. Before taking over as CFO, he had been serving as Tyson’s executive vice president of strategy and chief sustainability officer—roles he still holds. He joined Tyson in 2019, after earning a master’s of business administration degree from Stanford University. He has held various roles in investment banking, private equity and venture capital, including at

JPMorgan Chase

& Co.

Mr. Tyson’s father, John H. Tyson, has been chairman since 1998 and served as the company’s chief executive from 2000 until 2006.

The Fayetteville Police Department’s report said that a woman told police that she thought Mr. Tyson came in through an unlocked front door and that she didn’t know him.

Police responding to the scene found him under a comforter and he briefly attempted to go back to sleep, police body camera footage of the incident showed, and officers reported the smell of alcohol.

The CFO’s legal troubles follow a broader reshuffling of some of the top leadership positions at Tyson. The company is also closing several key offices in Illinois and South Dakota that have housed about 1,000 employees and is aiming to relocate those positions to its Arkansas headquarters.

Write to Patrick Thomas at [email protected]

Last month Mr. Tyson was arrested after local police said he was found asleep in the wrong Fayetteville, Ark. house. The 32-year-old executive has twice apologized for the incident, saying it doesn’t reflect his or the company’s values, and that he would seek counseling for his alcohol use. The company has said its board is reviewing the incident.

“I’m embarrassed and I want to let you know that I take full responsibility for my actions,” Mr. Tyson said on a Nov. 14 earnings call with analysts a week after spending an early Sunday morning in jail on Nov. 6. “I am committed to making sure that this never happens again.”

Mr. Tyson was appointed in late September as CFO of Tyson, the biggest U.S. meat company by sales. Before taking over as CFO, he had been serving as Tyson’s executive vice president of strategy and chief sustainability officer—roles he still holds. He joined Tyson in 2019, after earning a master’s of business administration degree from Stanford University. He has held various roles in investment banking, private equity and venture capital, including at

JPMorgan Chase

& Co.

Mr. Tyson’s father, John H. Tyson, has been chairman since 1998 and served as the company’s chief executive from 2000 until 2006.

The Fayetteville Police Department’s report said that a woman told police that she thought Mr. Tyson came in through an unlocked front door and that she didn’t know him.

Police responding to the scene found him under a comforter and he briefly attempted to go back to sleep, police body camera footage of the incident showed, and officers reported the smell of alcohol.

The CFO’s legal troubles follow a broader reshuffling of some of the top leadership positions at Tyson. The company is also closing several key offices in Illinois and South Dakota that have housed about 1,000 employees and is aiming to relocate those positions to its Arkansas headquarters.

Write to Patrick Thomas at [email protected]