John Brase has been named president and chief executive officer of the Conagra Brands and will also join the Chicago, Illinois-headquartered company’s board of directors, effective June 1. He succeeds Sean Connolly, who will step away from leadership roles and from the board on May 31, after more than a decade of leadership.
Brase (pictured above) brings more than 35 years of consumer goods experience to the job, with deep expertise in strategic portfolio management, brand building and driving operational excellence. Most recently, he served as president and chief operating officer of the J.M. Smucker Co., overseeing US retail, international and away from home businesses, as well as its sales, operations and supply chain functions.
Prior to joining J.M. Smucker in 2020, Brase spent approximately 30 years at Procter & Gamble (P&G), ultimately becoming senior vice president and general manager of its $6 billion North America Family Care business. He drove profitable growth across major brands, including Charmin, Bounty, Puffs and Pampers, consistently delivering market share leadership and margin expansion.
“John’s track record of driving top- and bottom-line performance, building brands across multiple consumer packaged goods categories, leveraging advantaged business systems and leading inclusive, results-driven cultures is exceptional, and we are confident Conagra will thrive under his leadership,” said Richard H. Lenny, Independent chairman of the board. “The decision to appoint him as Conagra’s next leader follows our thoughtful approach to succession planning, including discussions with Sean, and our determination that now is the right time for this leadership transition.”
Lenny continued: “From the moment Sean became Conagra’s CEO eleven years ago, he has worked tirelessly to create and lead a pure-play food company. His ability to unlock value in Conagra’s brands, streamline the company’s structure and motivate his team has been exceptional. He has successfully led Conagra through extraordinary times in our industry – from the global pandemic, to unprecedented inflation and supply chain disruptions – by instilling a ‘refuse to lose’ mindset across the company.”
“It’s an honor to join Conagra and lead this portfolio of iconic brands,” said Brase. “I’ve long admired what Sean and the team have built, and I look forward to accelerating the company’s track record of driving strong revenue growth, strengthening margins and generating robust cash flow to unlock the full potential of its brands and deliver meaningful value for consumers and shareholders.”
Connolly commented: “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished throughout my tenure at Conagra. Our efforts to invest in brand building and innovation, grow scale in frozen and snacks, sharpen execution and divest non-core assets have created a pure-play, branded platform with proven strength in key domains. As I prepare to step aside, I look forward to working with John to ensure a smooth transition. I’m confident that the Conagra team, under John’s leadership, will build on the foundation we’ve established and will continue to deliver value for consumers, customers and shareholders for years to come.”
Conagra is ranked as one of North America’s leading branded food companies, with net sales of nearly $12 billion in 2025. Its frozen food product portfolio includes Birds Eye, Healthy Choice, Banquet, Alexia and Marie Callender’s brands.
