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SARA LEE'S PIRATE KING; Chief of Jimmy Dean motivates staff to meet $1-billion goal with a hearty 'Arrggh!'.(News)(Jim Ruehlmann- Jimmy Dean )
Crain's Chicago Business, December, 2006 by Jargon, Julie
Byline: JULIE JARGON Jim Ruehlmann hopes to turn Jimmy Dean into a billion-dollar brand for Sara Lee Corp. by making his employees act like pirates. His swashbuckling management approach is unorthodox: Top performers get "shiver me timbers'' awards and employees call him "captain.'' But his task is critical to CEO Brenda Barnes' transformation of Sara Lee-a goal she won't meet without growth in the company's biggest unit, the $2.53-billion North American meat division.
Jimmy Dean accounts for more than 25% of the division's sales. Mr. Ruehlmann, 49, has already delivered some positive numbers. Supermarket sales of Jimmy Dean frozen sausage have risen 89% to $175 million since he became chief of the brand in 2004. It's been a different story for his...
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