Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.
Leadership History
3 leaders · 2016 to present
Michael J. Smith is the CEO of Lamb Weston, in the role since 2025. The first chief executive was Tom Werner, from 2016.
| Name | Role | From | To | Years in role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Craps | Executive Chair | 2026 | Present | < 1 |
| Michael J. Smith | President and Chief Executive Officer | 2025 | Present | 1 |
| Tom Werner | Former President and Chief Executive Officer | 2016 | 2025 | 9 |
Lamb Weston is a business-to-business food processor that most consumers never see. Its fries are served by major quick-service chains, sold through distributors to independent restaurants, and stocked in grocery freezers. McDonald's has historically accounted for more than 10% of net sales. The company reports in two segments, North America and International, and operates processing plants across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Argentina, China and Australia. The company is headquartered in Eagle, Idaho.
Lamb Weston buys potatoes mostly under annual contracts with growers in the Columbia Basin, Idaho, Alberta, Europe, Argentina and China, then cuts, blanches, par-fries and freezes them in its own plants. It sells the finished fries, wedges, hash browns and specialty items through two reporting segments: North America (about two-thirds of sales) and International. Customers include global burger and chicken chains, foodservice distributors, and grocery and club retailers, where it sells branded products such as Grown in Idaho and Alexia plus private-label lines. Profit depends on plant utilization, raw potato cost, edible oil and energy prices, and the price/mix it can hold in customer contracts.
Executive Chair
2026 – Present
0 years (current)
Appointed Executive Chair effective February 6, 2026, as part of a board and leadership refresh.
A former consumer-goods executive who began his career at McKinsey & Company, he oversees the board during the turnaround.
President and Chief Executive Officer
2025 – Present
1 year (current)
Took over in January 2025 after the ERP disruption and guidance cut. He slowed capital projects, pursued cost savings, invested in price to regain volume, and introduced the 'Focus to Win' strategy.
Under Smith, Lamb Weston posted six straight quarters of volume growth through fiscal 2026 and beat its fiscal 2026 sales and adjusted EBITDA guidance, though net income declined.
Former President and Chief Executive Officer
2016 – 2025
9 years
Led the company from the 2016 spin-off, expanded capacity in the U.S., China and Argentina, and bought out the European joint venture in 2023.
Sales roughly doubled during his tenure, but the 2024 ERP disruption and falling profits preceded his departure in early 2025.
These officers report to the chief executive and are not part of the CEO timeline above.
Lamb Weston faces soft restaurant traffic, industry overcapacity after competitors added fry lines, price concessions to win and keep contracts, potato crop variability, input-cost swings, and debt taken on for expansion. A 2024 ERP system transition disrupted orders, and the company now faces purchaser antitrust lawsuits filed in late 2024 against the major North American fry processors.
Michael J. Smith, President and CEO since January 2025. He previously served as the company's Chief Operating Officer.
Tom Werner was CEO from the November 2016 spin-off until early 2025. He oversaw capacity expansion and the 2023 European joint venture buyout before profits fell in 2024.
Jan Craps is Executive Chair (since February 2026) and Jim Gray is CFO (since April 2026).
Tom Werner serves as CEO. He is a massive veteran of the food industry, having previously served as President of Commercial Foods at Conagra. He was specifically chosen to lead Lamb Weston during its massive 2016 public spin-off, successfully steering the newly independent company through the absolute chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic when restaurant closures temporarily cratered french fry demand.
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