Steve Lykken

As group vice president of Hormel Foods and president of Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc., Steve Lykken oversees the company’s Jennie-O Turkey Store business segment. Hormel Foods is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across 75 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 on the “Global 2000 World’s Best Employers” list by Forbes magazine for three straight years, is one of Fortune magazine’s most admired companies, has appeared on Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s “The 100 Best Corporate Citizens” list for the 12 years, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts.

Lykken became president of Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc., in 2017, after being appointed chief operating officer of Applegate Farms, LLC., in August 2015 and promoted to president in 2016. He is a 29-year veteran of Hormel Foods Corporation and was senior vice president of supply chain at Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc., prior to his appointment to Applegate’s senior leadership team. Lykken began his career at Hormel Foods in 1992 in the Grocery Products segment, later leading trade management and marketing for Hormel Foods. He became senior vice president of the retail division of Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc., in 2003.

Lykken is a graduate of Minnesota State University-Moorhead with a Bachelor of Science degree in international business and of the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management Executive Program in Minneapolis.

He currently serves as an executive committee member of the National Turkey Federation. He has previously held roles as an executive committee member of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, board member of the Community Christian School in Willmar, Minn., and served the United Way of West of Central Minnesota for nine years as both a board member and past president. He currently serves on the governance board of the YMCA of Kandiyohi County.

Steve and his wife have three children. He enjoys physical fitness and boating in his free time.