John Ross is moving from the federal public service to the Canadian Pork Council.
Ross joins the council the end of February, taking over from retiring Executive Director Martin Rice.
Rice officially retires the end of April.
The CPC says over the past 30 years, Ross has worked through a series of livestock and red meat related positions.
He's also chaired the Canadian industry/government steering committee for the COOL dispute since its inception.
Council Chair Rick Bergmann says Ross's skills, leadership and experience are what the industry needs in a senior position at this time.
The Canadian Pork Council serves as the national voice for hog producers in Canada.