The King Ranch Inc. board of directors announced Robert Hodgen will be the new president and chief executive officer of the company effective today.
Hodgen, 45, brings nearly 25 years of executive leadership and investment management experience in the agribusiness and food sectors to the role. Before joining King Ranch, Hodgen spent six years as managing director at AMERRA Capital Management, where the Private Equity team under his leadership invested in six agribusiness and aquaculture platform companies and he served on the board of directors for two of those investments.
Prior to AMERRA, he served as senior vice president of J.D. Heiskell & Co., a 135 year-old family-owned company focused on livestock feed manufacturing, domestic and international grain trading and logistics as well as biofuels production. He began his career within the Animal Nutrition Division management team of Cargill Inc.
“King Ranch has a rich, world-renowned legacy. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the next CEO and look forward to leading such a competent and capable team,” Hodgen said. “Having been raised on a large-scale grain and cattle farm, the ag sector is what I know and love. I feel as if I have been preparing for this role my whole
life and look forward to applying the knowledge and experience I’ve gained over my career to the many facets that make up the King Ranch.”
Company Chairman John D. Alexander Jr. and John T. Steen III Vice-Chairman commented that the King Ranch board is looking forward to working with Robert and are confident his broad professional experience along with a deep knowledge of finance and ag related investments make him a great choice to lead King Ranch into the future. The Board and the family owners are also very grateful to retiring CEO Robert J. Underbrink for his many years of dedicated leadership and service to the Company.
Hodgen holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Oklahoma State University and an master’s degree in finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the California Ag Leadership Program (Class 36) and previously served as a director of the National Grain and Feed Association.