Scott Aakre

As group vice president and chief marketing officer of the Hormel Foods Retail business, Scott Aakre is responsible for continuing to evolve the company’s brand portfolio to meet the changing needs of today’s consumers, amplifying scale in snacking and entertaining, and growing the company’s ethnic and food-forward portfolio.

Hormel Foods is a global branded food company with over $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters^®, Skippy^®, SPAM^®, Hormel^® Natural Choice^®, Applegate^®, Justin’s^®, Columbus^®, WHOLLY^® Guacamole, Hormel^® Black Label^® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one of America’s most responsible companies by Newsweek, recognized on Fast Company’s list of the 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators, received a perfect score of 100 on the 2023–24 Corporate Equality Index and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts.

Under Aakre’s leadership, the company has received numerous industry awards and accolades for its innovation efforts including recognition from IRI Pacesetters, Progressive Grocer Editors’ Picks and Grocery Manufacturers Association Innovation and Creativity Awards.

Aakre joined Hormel Foods in 1990 and held a variety of management positions for the company before being named group product manager of Grocery Products in 2003 and director of marketing for Grocery Products later that year. In 2005, he was promoted to vice president of marketing for grocery products. Aakre was named vice president of corporate innovation and new product development in 2011. He was named senior vice president of Brand Fuel in 2022 and assumed his current position in 2023. Aakre is active in the innovation industry as well as in a variety of community and charitable causes.

A Minnesota native, Aakre earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota.