Brian Taphorn

Brian Taphorn has a strong work history in the food industry. Brian started their career at Cargill as a Merchandiser from September 1986 to June 1988. Brian then moved to Farmland Industries Inc, where they worked as a Merchandiser from July 1988 to September 1990. Brian then joined Farmland Foods as the Director of Fresh Pork Sales in 1990, a position they held until 2001.

After leaving Farmland Foods, Brian joined Seaboard Foods in November 2001 as the Director of Retail Sales, a role they held until October 2015. Brian then transitioned to Vice President of Business Development until April 2019. Brian also served as Vice President of Alternative Channels, where they focused on emerging markets and technologies outside of retail and foodservice, including eCommerce and alternative customer targets. From April 2019 to June 2023, Brian took on the role of Vice President Inside Sales Performance & Alternative Channels, where they were responsible for improving sales performance KPIs and implementing SOPs. Brian then briefly worked at Premier Custom Foods, LLC as Vice President of Sales & Business Development from August 2023 to October 2023. Currently, Brian is serving as the Director of Sales, Foodservice Fresh Pork at Smithfield Foods since October 2023. Throughout their career, Brian has consistently held leadership positions, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to each role.

From 1983 to 1986, Brian Taphorn attended Kansas State University, where they studied Ag Economics.