Kelly Fladger

SALISBURY, MARYLAND, U.S. — Kelly Fladger, vice-president of human resources services at Perdue Farms, has assumed additional responsibility as the company’s first chief diversity and inclusion officer. 

“At Perdue Farms, we take pride in the diversity of our workforce and remain committed to creating an inclusive work environment,” said Randy Day, chief executive officer (CEO). “I’m confident that we will benefit from Kelly’s leadership in creating a workforce that parallels the constituencies whose quality of life we strive to enhance through great food and agricultural products, and whose trust we seek to earn.”

In this expanded role, Fladger will be responsible for providing executive leadership in guiding a comprehensive range of services, policies and procedures related to diversity and inclusion excellence across the organization.

“Diversity and inclusion are critical to who we are as company,” Fladger said. “Our people are as diverse as our products and are representative of the communities in which we operate. I am honored to have been entrusted with leading our Inclusion Council and advance our dialogues around diversity and inclusion, and creating an environment of inclusion among our stakeholders.”

Fladger joined Perdue Farms in September 2016 as vice-president of human resource services. Prior to Perdue, he was vice-president of people strategy and corporate human resources for Belk in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.  

From 1998 to 2014, he served in human resource capacities of increasing responsibility to include vice-president of HR global functions and chief diversity officer for Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. As a result of his leadership, Coca-Cola garnered recognition for its diversity and inclusion programs to include the Georgia Multicultural Leadership Award from the National Diversity Council; the French Diversity Label, the 2013 European Diversity Team of the Year Award, a Diversity Journal honorable mention Innovation in Diversity Award, and a 2014 Leader In Diversity Award.

Fladger graduated from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., where he received a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Fladger’s new roles are the most recent change in leadership at Perdue Farms. In March, Day was promoted to CEO from the chief operating officer position.  He succeeded Jim Perdue, who has been chairman and CEO of Perdue Farms since 1991. Perdue will continue to serve as chairman and company brand spokesperson.