FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Standard Meat Co. (SMC) announced that Jill Hunter will step into the company’s newly created role as senior director of sales operations. In this role, Hunter will oversee and optimize sales operations and project management processes, while ensuring a seamless coordination between sales, R&D, finance and operations teams.

“The addition of Jill Hunter to our leadership team — and to this crucial new role — will be key to the next phase of significant growth at Standard Meat,” said Ben Rosenthal, co-president and chief executive officer of SMC. “As our business expands and product mix becomes more complex, we need robust processes and structures in place to set ourselves up for ongoing success.”

Hunter will focus on three key areas. First, she aims to establish a demand planning framework at SMC that will capture customer demand signals, route information through enhanced internal communication structure and trigger innovative planning and processes to deliver seamless, superior service. Her second priority is to streamline project management processes, particularly for new product development, so that resources go to the most impactful developments.

Her third focus is commercial responsibility for the company’s Ponder, Texas, facility, where she will manage the sales team and product line manager. Hunter will align product strategy, lifecycle management and financial performance with broader sales and operational goals. Ponder will then serve as a model for other SMC facilities.

As an industry veteran, Hunter most recently served as director of industrial and strategic accounts at High Liner Foods. Previously, she worked at Cargill in multiple positions, including high-profile account management roles.

Hunter earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

“I’m looking forward to working with the SMC team to create and implement end-to-end processes and structures that directly support our success,” Hunter said. “But I’m also personally excited to be here. The culture of collaboration and commitment to excellence at Standard Meat is truly inspiring, and it’s a privilege to work with a team that shares those values.”