Jeffrey Martin Ettinger[1] (born October 18, 1958)[2] is an American corporate executive, businessman, philanthropist, politician, and attorney who currently serves as the interim President of the University of Minnesota.
He was previously CEO of Hormel Foods. As Hormel's CEO from 2005 until 2016, he led the company through a period of major growth in market value.[3] Ettinger now runs the corporate Hormel Foundation, which gives millions of dollars to charitable causes in Austin, Minnesota, and serves on the boards of several other companies.[3]
Early life and education
Ettinger was born in Pasadena, California. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and Juris Doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles.[4]
Career
Ettinger served as a law clerk to Judge Arthur Alarcón of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.[4] He has worked at Hormel since 1989, fulfilling roles such as senior corporate attorney (1989–1993), treasurer (1998–1999), and president of Jennie-O (1999–2003). He later worked as vice president and general counsel of Comar Marketing. He was a member of the American Meat Institute board of directors, the Grocery Manufacturers Association board of directors, and the Minnesota Business Partnership board of directors. He became Hormel's president, CEO, and chairman of the board in 2005 and retired as CEO on October 30, 2016.[5] He continued to serve as chairman of the board until retiring on November 20, 2017.[6][7]
Ettinger was the Democratic nominee for the 2022 Minnesota's 1st congressional district special election and for the regular election in November 2022.[8][9] Ettinger lost both elections to Brad Finstad.[10]
On May 8, 2023, Ettinger was selected as Interim President for the University of Minnesota system.[11]
Personal life
Ettinger and his wife, LeeAnn, have four children.[12] They live in Austin, Minnesota.[13]
References
- ^ "Jeffrey Martin Ettinger Profile | Austin, MN Lawyer | Martindale.com". www.martindale.com. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- ^ "Jeffrey M Ettinger, Born 10/18/1958 in California | CaliforniaBirthIndex.org". www.californiabirthindex.org. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- ^ a b "'Jeff from town': How a former Hormel CEO came to be a Democratic candidate for a U.S. House seat in southern Minnesota". MinnPost. April 27, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "Jeffrey M. Ettinger". www.nndb.com. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- ^ Halter, Nick (September 6, 2016). "Hormel CEO Ettinger to retire; replacement comes from inside food company". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- ^ "Hormel Foods Announces Chief Executive Officer Retirement And Appointment". Hormel Foods. September 6, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- ^ "Hormel Foods Announces The Retirement Of Jeffrey M. Ettinger As Chairman Of The Board. Jim Snee, Hormel Foods President And CEO, Elected As Chairman". Hormel Foods. September 27, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- ^ Johnson, Eric (March 10, 2022). "Ettinger throwing his hat into 1st District race". Austin Daily Herald. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- ^ "Rep. Brad Finstad wins rematch with Jeff Ettinger in 1st District". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ Faircloth, Ryan; Tribune, Trey Mewes Star. "Republican Brad Finstad wins CD1 special election; rematch with Jeff Ettinger set for November". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ "Jeff Ettinger selected as interim president of the U of M". University of Minnesota. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Nicklay, Deb (October 30, 2016). "Changing of the guard: After 11 years, Jeffrey Ettinger steps down as Hormel CEO, handing the reins over to James Snee". Austin Daily Herald. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- ^ a b "Meet Jeff Ettinger". Jeff Ettinger for Congress.