Mount Laurel-based J & J Snack Foods Corp. recently announced that Shawn Munsell has been named chief financial officer, effective Dec. 2. Munsell takes over the role from Ken Plunk, who is retiring and will support the transition until the end of the year.
A seasoned executive with over 15 years of finance and operating leadership experience at US publicly listed companies in food and agriculture, Munsell most recently served as chief financial officer at Calavo Growers, a global leader in avocados and prepared food products, where he oversaw the company’s finance organization, including all finance and accounting functions across multiple business units. During his tenure, he restructured the finance organization and led initiatives to support earnings growth, including the strategic divestiture of a non-core division and the implementation of new financial systems and processes to enhance profitability.
 “We are pleased to welcome Shawn to the J & J Snack Foods team. He is an accomplished executive who has a wealth of leadership experience in corporate finance and strategy along with a deep understanding of the consumer and food ecosystem. The Board of Directors and I are confident Shawn’s unique blend of financial rigor and operational expertise will enable us to further advance our key strategic initiatives, including our ongoing commitment to sustained profitable growth, operational excellence and the enhancement of shareholder value,”Dan Fachner, J & J Snack Foods chairman, president, and CEO said.
Prior to his tenure at Calavo, Munsell spent seven years at Tyson Foods, most recently as senior vice president of Finance and Accounting for Tyson’s $14 billion poultry division. As Division CFO, he led a team of hundreds across finance, accounting, and FP&A with responsibility for dozens of operating facilities. Prior, Mr. Munsell was VP and Treasurer, where he managed Tyson’s capital structure, raised debt capital, and oversaw stock repurchases. He began his career at CF Industries where he held various positions, including Vice President of Financial Evaluations & Corporate Treasurer. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan – Flint and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
“J & J Snack Foods is a remarkable company with a strong leadership position in the expanding snack food market. I’m thrilled to join a company so well-positioned for sustainable growth, backed by an extensive product lineup, a broad sales network, and a focus on innovation. I look forward to collaborating with Dan, the entire J & J Snack Foods team, and the Board of Directors to leverage the significant growth opportunities ahead and deliver additional value to our clients, partners, and shareholders,” Munsell said.
