ORRVILLE, OH — The J.M. Smucker Co. elected Jeff Varcoe, PhD, as senior VP, science and technical excellence. He will report to Rob Ferguson, chief product supply officer and EVP of coffee, pet and Away From Home.

In this role, Varcoe will ensure operational excellence across all technical disciplines that support product quality, compliance and innovation. Varcoe’s experience with the company includes his most recent position, where he has served as VP of quality assurance and food safety since 2023. In this role, he led a comprehensive vision for food safety and quality, ensuring Smucker’s continued commitment to consumers.

“Jeff is an exceptional leader whose expertise, integrity, and ability to inspire teams have made a lasting impact on our organization,” Ferguson said. “His broad experience across the food operations, science and technical functions, combined with his commitment to developing talent and fostering accountability, makes him well-suited to lead this important area of our business. I am confident that under Jeff’s leadership, we will maintain the high standards of quality and safety our consumers expect, while advancing innovation across our portfolio.”

Varcoe brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the food industry across quality assurance, R&D and operations. Prior to joining Smucker, Varcoe spent 21 years at The Schwan Food Company, where he held leadership positions including VP of food safety and quality, VP of manufacturing technical services, R&D director and more.