James W. Cavanaugh
Senior Vice President, General Counsel
James W. Cavanaugh is senior vice president of external affairs and general counsel for Hormel Foods. With 25 years of experience in the law department at Hormel Foods, Cavanaugh has developed an expertise in managing the company through regulatory and policy-making changes. As the company’s chief legal officer, Cavanaugh leads all aspects of the company’s law department, is responsible for managing risk on a daily basis, and oversees all acquisitions, contracts and litigation. Cavanaugh spearheaded company-wide Sarbanes Oxley governance changes and has played an integral role in protecting the company’s intellectual property.
As senior vice president of external affairs, Cavanaugh oversees all communications activities, including state and federal government affairs, corporate communications, brand management, consumer insights, consumer affairs, packaging, corporate social responsibility and issues management.
Cavanaugh began his career at Hormel Foods in 1982 as associate corporate attorney and spent the first 20 years of his career advancing through the law department as a labor specialist and corporate attorney. In 2001, he was named corporate secretary and senior attorney. He was promoted to his current position of general counsel and senior vice president of external affairs in 2005.
Cavanaugh holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Notre Dame, a law degree from St. Louis University and a master’s degree in tax law from Georgetown University. He is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association and the Iowa State Bar Association.
Cavanaugh previously served on the board of directors for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and on the Minnesota workers’ compensation advisory council. He currently serves on the Fire Commission Board in Austin, Minn.