JACKSON, MISS. — Jamas Capital Management announced on Jan. 9 that Todd Southerland would be appointed a strategic advisor for agri-foods at the company.

Jamas is a private investment firm that makes investments in various industries including poultry processing, real estate and specialty situations.

Southerland will work with Jamas on its agri-foods portfolio to maximize returns on investment in Gemstone Foods, a Jamas portfolio company founded 10 years ago that provides poultry and further processing services in the poultry industry along with foodservice and retail.

“Mr. Southerland’s impressive background in corporate finance helping businesses in the agri-foods sector, in particular the poultry sector, make and execute key strategic initiatives, aligns well with Jamas’ commitment to building an industry leading poultry company and potentially expanding into other protein sectors,” said Ben O. Turnage, chief executive officer of Jamas. “We are excited to have him on our team and are confident he will add tremendous value to our future success.”

Southerland plans to identify potential agri-foods and related business opportunities for Jamas, including future expansion and acquisitions.

Southerland also currently serves as executive vice president of growth and sustainability at Florida Beef Inc., which operates beef processing facilities focused on mature grass-fed cattle. 

“Jamas has a track record of building industry leading companies across a number of sectors and is committed to building its agri-foods business, where it has established a solid foundation in poultry processing having founded Gemstone Foods in 2013,” Southerland said. “Since its founding, Gemstone Foods has made remarkable progress in becoming a significant player in the poultry further processing industry. I look forward to contributing to this continued success as Jamas evaluates opportunities for future growth across the agribusiness landscape.”

Before joining Florida Beef, Southerland worked for 20 years in the banking industry focused on agribusiness, including leadership positions with Truist/SunTrust, Wells Fargo and John Hancock. In these roles, he functioned as a key resource to agri-food clients in understanding and analyzing trends and market conditions within the sector and structuring solutions to help clients realize long-term goals and achieve smart growth.

Southerland holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Vanderbilt University and has studied international trade and finance at the London School of Economics. He has also completed executive education programs in agribusiness and related fields at Harvard Business School and the Kellogg School of Management.