Dean Banks, Tyson Foods Inc.'s president and incoming CEO, will be the featured speaker of the 2020 Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit, which will be held virtually this year, from Oct. 18–21.
Banks has been president of Tyson Foods since December 2019 and has served on its board of directors since 2017. He leads the company’s Poultry, Fresh Meats and Prepared Foods business segments, as well as Alternative Proteins, International and Sales.
Before joining Tyson Foods, Banks was a project lead and on the leadership team at X (formerly Google [x]), an Alphabet Inc. company, where he remains an advisor. Before that, he was managing partner of SEED Ventures, a group that invests in and develops early-stage health care technologies.
“I’m excited to share how technology is shaping the future of food and helping us feed a growing world that’s expected to reach almost 10 billion people by 2050,” Banks said in a news release. “We’re putting good investment and energy into innovation, developing forward-looking technologies like robotics and automation, predictive analytics, mobility and blockchain.”
Scott Spradley, Tyson Foods’ executive vice president and chief technology officer, will join Banks in conversation at the summit.
“We are thrilled to have Dean and Scott joining us at the NWA Tech Summit this year,” said Graham Cobb, president and CEO of the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce. “The opportunity for attendees to learn from the president and incoming CEO, as well as the EVP and CTO, of the largest poultry producer in the country is phenomenal. This demonstrates the evolution of supply chain, the importance of tech talent to our region, and the leadership integral to bringing that workforce here.”
Tickets to the summit, which is suported by the Walton Family Foundation and Walmart, can be purchased here.
