Burroughs Named One of Mississippi’s 50 Leading Business Women

LAUREL, Miss. – February 2, 2015 – Hilary Burroughs, Director of Marketing for Sanderson Farms, has been selected among an elite group of women as one of the state’s 50 Leading Business Women. Instituted by the Mississippi Business Journal, this annual program identifies and recognizes influential women within the state who have positively impacted the economy and promoted female leadership. Previous award recipients and program alumnae from Sanderson Farms include Robin Robinson, Director of Organization Development and Corporate Communication.

“Hilary has been a significant asset to Sanderson Farms as a result of her diverse experiences and talents,” said Robinson. “I am delighted that the business journal has chosen to select her as one of their 2014 nominees, as her contributions to the state and her role as a female leader have been undeniable throughout her tenure with Sanderson Farms.”

The 50 Leading Business Women in Mississippi is an organization that not only seeks to honor prominent women, but to also provide them with ample networking opportunities and the resources necessary to grow as leaders in the businesses of which they are a part. Each award recipient attended two days of seminars, networking discussions and an awards luncheon honoring 2014 nominees in preparation for the program culmination with the naming of the 2015 Woman of the Year in February.

Burroughs graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Mississippi. Shortly after her graduation from college, Burroughs began her career at Sanderson Farms in the Export Sales Department. She has since held several positions within the company, including Management Trainee, Corporate Poultry Buyer, National Sales Representative, Corporate Sales Manager and Manager of Marketing Services.

Burroughs was promoted to her current position in May 2014 and has been employed with Sanderson Farms since 2000. She serves on the company’s Executive Committee, Corporate Responsibility Council, the Wage and Salary Committee, the Health & Wellness Committee and is a participant in the company’s Leadership Initiative for Effectiveness program. She manages the company’s participation as title sponsor of the Sanderson Farms Championship benefitting Friends of Children’s Hospital, a non-profit organization that helps to fund the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Actively involved in both her industry and the community, Burroughs serves as Committee Chairperson of the Marketing Committee for the National Chicken Council, a position she has held for three years. In her community of Laurel, Mississippi, Burroughs is serving her sixth year on the Board of Commissioners for the Laurel Housing Authority and her third year with the Laurel Main Street organization.

Burroughs is also serving her second year on the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Main Street organization and her first year with the United Way Chapter of the Pine Belt. She functions in a nonvoting role on the Board of Directors for Century Club Charities, the Jackson-based host organization for the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Sanderson Farms, Inc., founded in 1947, is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken and other prepared food items. Employing more than 11,000 employees in operations spanning five states and 13 different cities, Sanderson Farms is the third largest poultry producer in the United States. As a company, Sanderson Farms is committed to adopting a fresh approach in everything that they do. Not only where products are concerned, but companywide as well. Though the company has grown in size, it still adheres to the same hometown values of honesty, integrity and innovation that were established when the Sanderson family founded the company back in 1947.