HOUSTON, April 17, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- SYSCO Corporation (NYSE:SYY), North America's largest foodservice marketer and distributor, announced today that J. Michael Dickson, who has been president and chief executive officer of Sysco Food Services of Arizona, Inc., will serve as chairman of the company until his retirement July 1, 2007. As recently announced, he is succeeded by Donald W. Staley as president and CEO.
Mr. Dickson, 56, has enjoyed a distinguished 25-year SYSCO career, having served in a leadership capacity at three operating companies. He began in 1982 as a district sales manager at Robert Orr -- Sysco Food Services, LLC in Nashville, TN and progressed to regional sales manager in 1985. In 1987 he was promoted to president of Robert Orr -- Sysco Food Services of Georgia. This SYSCO subsidiary was merged into Sysco Food Services of Atlanta, Inc. the following year and Mr. Dickson was named executive vice president of the merged companies. In 1992 he was appointed to his current position. Prior to joining SYSCO, Mr. Dickson had been associated with an independent foodservice distributor for ten years.
A native of Knoxville, TN, Mr. Dickson earned a bachelor of science degree in business at the University of Tennessee located in Knoxville, TN. He and his wife, Nancy, have two adult children and reside in Phoenix, AZ.
Sysco Food Services of Arizona, Inc. provides products and services to foodservice operations including restaurants, country clubs, healthcare and educational institutions, lodging establishments, business and industry locations, multi-unit chain accounts and other foodservice operations throughout the state of Arizona.
SYSCO is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. For the calendar year 2006, the company generated $33.9 billion in sales. For more information about SYSCO visit www.sysco.com.
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