John R. Tyson, chief financial officer of Tyson Foods and the great-grandson of the company’s founder, has been charged with criminal trespassing and public intoxication after police say he drunkenly broke into a stranger’s home and fell asleep in her bed.
Just over a month ago, Tyson, 32, was promoted to executive vice-president and CFO of Tyson Foods, one of America’s largest meat processing companies. His father serves as chairman of the board.
An incident report provided to The Associated Press by the Fayetteville, Ark., police department stated that a woman returned home early on Sunday morning and found a man she didn’t know sleeping in her bed.
When officers arrived, they found Tyson sleeping on the bed with his clothes on the floor beside him. They report that his movements were “sluggish and uncoordinated” as they tried to wake him and police say they smelled the odour of “intoxicants” on his breath and body.
According to multiple media reports, the Tyson Foods CFO briefly sat up straight as officers tried to rouse him but he didn’t say anything and eventually tried to return to sleep.
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After his arrest, Tyson was released on a US$415 bond late Sunday night and he is expected to appear in court on Dec. 1.
Tyson on Monday apologized for the incident and said he is getting counselling for alcohol abuse.
“I am embarrassed for personal conduct that is inconsistent with my personal values, the company’s values and the high expectations we hold for each other here at Tyson Foods,” Tyson said in a companywide memo that was provided to The Associated Press. “I made a serious mistake and this has caused me to reflect deeply on the impact my actions can have on others.”
Before working for his family’s company, Tyson was an investment banker at J.P. Morgan. He joined Tyson Foods in 2019 and three years later the company promoted him to executive vice-president and CFO. He assumed his new position on Oct. 2, Bloomberg reported.
Tyson has yet to address investors for the first time as CFO, though an earnings call is scheduled for Nov. 14. It remains to be seen if the company will take action against him.
Incredibly, Tyson isn’t the only food-industry executive who was recently behaving badly in Fayetteville.
Less than two months ago, a businessman who also has ties to Tyson Foods was arrested after allegedly biting a man’s nose and leaving him bloodied over a road rage dispute outside a college football game. Doug Ramsey, the COO of Beyond Meat, was charged with felony battery and making a terroristic threat due to the incident.
Before joining Beyond Meat, Ramsey had spent more than 30 years working at Tyson Foods. Ramsey was suspended by Beyond Meat following the incident and he has since left the company.
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