Meat + Poultry - March 2016 - 8

C O M M E N TA R Y

A graceful exit
Interviewing some true industry icons just before or soon
after they have joined the growing ranks of retirees the
past several years has been a lesson in enlightenment and
is always inspiring.
Barely two months into his retirement in early
February, C. Larry Pope took time to visit with me
about his career path leading up to his stepping
down as Smithfield Foods' president and CEO (See
"Accomplished," Page 18).
I was familiar with the
corporate face of Pope, after
years of covering Smithfield
during many ups and downs and
including its acquistion by China's
WH Group. But there's something
about earning the proverbial
gold watch that behooves some
powerful and influential people
to let their guard down and show
their not-so-corporate human side.
Like a Super Bowl MVP, one
of the first things Pope did was
go to Disney World with his
daughter and three grandchildren
to celebrate his victorious career.
"Don't work
He and his family joked that the
hard, think
fireworks show they saw at the
hard. Thinking Magic Kingdom was dedicated to
his retirement after 35 years at
hard makes
you a lot more Smithfield.
Starting at the company as
money."
a bean counter, Pope says he
planned to work at the company
for a maximum of three years. He never envisioned
sticking with the company and retiring as its leader more
than three decades after his self-imposed deadline.
He spoke happily about the highs as he ascended the
corporate ladder, riding the wave during the company's
heyday and its many acquisitions. His voice and cadence
turned somber when he remembered the business taking
a dive in 2008, when he pulled in the financial oars not

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MEAT+ POULTRY | 03.16 | www.meatpoultry.com

only at Smithfield, but also at home. The philosophy he
preached during that period was, "You must be present to
win," as he made a point of being visible and sacrificing
alongside all of the company's employees. He wasn't
shy about referring to the ensuing two-plus years as the
darkest period in his career when worries were exceeded
only by sleepless nights.
He shared too some of his learning experiences, having
survived those hard times and restructuring the company
as the industry continued evolving. In the last five years
of his tenure, Pope made it a point to go out and see both
customers and visit employees in the plants.
"It helped me know the business better," he said, and
people respected him and appreciated his attention.
He shared other lessons and secrets to his success.
One, which he didn't fully embrace until about four years
ago, was to dedicate time to a singular purpose: to think.
It's a seemingly simple concept but one too many people
overlook.
"Take one day a week and use that time to think...
hard," said Pope, whose thinking day was every Friday.
He recited the sage advice of his uncle, who like Pope's
father owned a successful Ford dealership: "Don't work
hard, think hard. Thinking hard makes you a lot more
money than working hard."
Pope remembers the last day in the office at Smithfield
and said, to make his departure a little easier, his secretary
ensured nothing in the executive's office was moved or
changed until he walked out the door for the final time.
Since his trip to Disney, Pope and his wife of 40 years
look forward to traveling, spending time with his two
kids and their three grandchildren. He also hinted that
he's thinking more about golf as he was talking about
how happy he is that his daughter and grandkids live
near his home.
"She lives a good, solid 3-wood from my house."
J O E L C R E WS, E D I TO R | j c r e w s @ s o s l a n d.c o m
http://www.meatpoultry.com
Meat + Poultry - March 2016

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