Steve Lykken

As group vice president of Hormel Foods, Steve Lykken oversees the vertically integrated supply chain operations of Jennie-O Turkey Store while helping to lead the integration of sales and marketing into the Retail, Foodservice and International segments. Hormel Foods is a global branded food company with over $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 75 countries worldwide. Hormel Foods is a member of the S&P 500 Index and has been designated a S&P 500 Dividend King. 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 has been 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 food companies, has appeared on Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s “The 100 Best Corporate Citizens” list and was named one of America’s Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek, among other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts.

Lykken is a 30-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. He began his career at Hormel Foods in 1992 in the Grocery Products segment, later leading trade management and marketing for Hormel Foods and became senior vice president of the retail division of Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc., in 2003. Lykken was named 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 assumed his current role in 2021.

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 Vice Chairman 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.