CFO's Vice Could Derail Rise to CEO in Tyson Family Business
Reckless risk taking tends to snowball and exponentially endanger safety and reputation
John Randal Tyson has had a good setup in life. He’s also worked hard to be considered leader-worthy by his famous family. Is his trouble with alcohol going to result in him throwing away his opportunity to rise to the top?
Headline: The youngest Fortune 500 CFO was set up to run his family’s $21 billion chicken empire. His erratic behavior could change that
Lila MacLellan reported the story at Fortune.com and it was republished at Yahoo.
Alcohol has been the substance that Tyson, the 34-year-old chief financial officer at Tyson Foods, has continued to allow to cause problems in his life.
On June 13, he was pulled over in Fayetteville, Ark. by police under the presumption of drunk driving. Tyson knew, especially with his past (more on that in a moment), that he had just traveled, figuratively speaking, into treacherous territory.
“… if I get in trouble tonight, my life will be ruined,” he told the officer.
Tyson had consumed too many beers before driving, according to the police report obtained by MacLellan and Fortune.
“My life is over, man,” Tyson painfully said in the video which was published online by an account called Arkansas Police Activity and labeled as University of Arkansas Police Department footage, as he awaits a breathalyzer test at the station, MacLellan wrote.
As noted above, Tyson has difficulty controlling his decision making when it comes to substance abuse. He now has been arrested twice for alcohol-related crimes since being hired as CFO in 2022.
Think about that: Two arrests in less than two years: 19 months to be exact.
Critics will point to that and the fact that when Tyson was appointed in his role, he was the youngest CFO in the Fortune 500. Many will see a young man hired for his surname more than his experience and preparedness for the job.
They will see that same man survive one strange alcohol-related crime and now have a second and wonder, what would happen to their job, career and financial security if they had the same legal marks against them as the family executive.
Before the recent behavior failing and six weeks after Tyson assumed the CFO position, he was found sleeping in a woman’s bed (see image above), a stranger’s mind you and charged with trespassing and public intoxication, MacLellan reported.
He owned that charge by pleading guilty.
Tyson is undoubtedly embarrassing his family and its name. He again brings negative attention to them and the family business. Shareholders might not feel comfortable with this leader acting foolishly in his off time. They might wonder if this type of problem with alcohol and self control could dangerously impact his work as CFO.
The family and company, I would professionally suspect, would be wondering when, not if, Tyson is going to reoffend, bring more legal, media and public scrutiny to the company and invite a lawsuit or lawsuits.
Tyson, if he hasn’t yet been determined as such, might be on the verge of being labeled a legal and financial liability to the company and also to its reputation.
So, what now?
The Tyson family leadership, the company, board and attorneys have to decide just how much risk it is willing to assume with its CFO named Tyson. It has to think about the potential legal, boycott, reputation and stock risks.
It has to think about optics and public relations and how the media will be watching.
To that end, “Tyson Foods has suspended Mr. Tyson from his duties effective immediately and named Curt Calaway as interim Chief Financial Officer," the company decided and communicated in a statement.
Is this part one of a two-part process to replace J.R. Tyson or this a chess move to let the media coverage and scandalous story die down, reinstate him and force Tyson to get help with his behavior?
If it’s the latter, Tyson is likely down to his last “strike.”
If that is the case, the company’s decision makers are boldly rolling the dice that they can somehow trust Tyson to not put the family’s name at risk of criticism again, not put the company at the risks mentioned above and believing he is worth the faith and patience to work through his troubles.
Time will tell, the rest of the story.
Michael Toebe is a specialist for trust, risk, relationship, communications and reputation at Reputation Intelligence - Reputation Quality. He serves individuals and organizations by helping them further build, protect, restore and reconstruct reputation.
Follow Reputation Intelligence on Twitter/ “X”
Follow Reputation Intelligence on the Medium platform for more stories/insights