SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL — Eduardo Miron has been named chief executive officer at Marfrig Global Foods, the world’s second largest beef company. He succeeds Martin Secco.

Miron joined Marfrig in 2010, and for the past several years he has been chief financial officer and investor relations officer at Marfrig. Also during that time, he served as CFO of Keystone Foods in the United States. In mid-August, Marfrig reached an agreement to sell the Keystone Foods business to Tyson Foods, Inc. for $2.16 billion in cash.

Prior to joining Marfrig, Miron spent 10 years at Grupo Safra and more than 20 years at Cargill, where he held leadership positions in Brazil and the United States.

“The choice of Eduardo Miron as CEO underlines our commitment to a financially and operationally sustainable Marfrig,” said Marcos Molina dos Santos, controlling shareholder and chairman of the board. “Miron was at the forefront of the company’s most recent strategic operations:  the acquisition of controlling interest in National Beef and the divestment of Keystone. These transactions have transformed Marfrig into a simpler company focused on beef and supported by a global production and distribution platform. Also, Marfrig is now a company with low financial leverage.”

In addition to the appointment of Miron, Marfrig unveiled a new structure centered around two operations: South America and North America.

The company’s South America operations include Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. Miguel Gularte has been chosen to lead the region’s operations. Gularte has more than 37 years of experience in the beef sector, including time at the Meat and Meat Products Industrial Cooperative. He also was CEO of the Uruguayan meatpacker PUL, international vice-president of Minerva and CEO of JBS Mercosul.

Marfrig’s North America operations will consist of the operations of National Beef and the beef patty plant in North Baltimore. Tim Klein, CEO of National Beef, will continue to lead the region. Klein has been with National Beef since 1997.