Skip to Main Content
  • Springfield, Tennessee Chris Cooksey President, North America Operations

    Chris began his career with Hail & Cotton in 1992 after graduating from Austin Peay State University. He started in factory operations working in a variety of different areas. In 1996 Chris began working with the leaf and sales department and in 2006 was appointed Vice President. In 2013 he was appointed Senior Vice-President of Sales responsible for managing all sales for North America. In November 2016, he was appointed President, North America Operations, based in Springfield, TN.
  • Aalsmeer, Netherlands Patricia Rietveld Chief Financial Officer

    Born in the Netherlands, Patricia completed her postgraduate education and qualified as a Certified Public Accountant at NIVRA-Nyenrode Business School in 2006. She was an Audit Manager at Ernst & Young in the Netherlands, working with national and international clients in a variety of industries. Since 2009, Patricia has served as the Group Financial Controller of CdF International. She worked at the corporate head office in Springfield, TN from 2011 to 2013 and is now based in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands. Patricia has been promoted over the years and is currently our Chief Financial Officer.
  • Dubai, UAE Andy Spies President & CEO

    Andy was appointed President and CEO of Hail & Cotton in 2026, to lead the company into its next phase of growth and continued development as a stronger, more aligned global business. His focus is on positioning Hail & Cotton to realize its full potential.

    He has been part of the Hail & Cotton team since 2013, holding a range of leadership roles across the business. Most recently, serving as President of International Operations, where he focused on building our global footprint and expanding our customer base across core tobacco markets, including Brazil, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia.

    Andy began his career in Zimbabwe in 1991 as a trainee leaf tobacco buyer. With more than 35 years of experience in the tobacco industry, he has lived and worked across a range of countries and markets, building a career spanning operation, commercial and senior leadership roles.
  • Springfield, Tennessee Richard Wood Executive Vice-President, Dark Air Cured Operations

    Richard began his tobacco industry career in 1993 with CdF in Brazil, holding roles across Brazil, Spain and the Philippines. In 1996, he joined Lancaster Philippines, later Universal Leaf Philippines, where he held several leadership positions across leaf, operations, sales and manufacturing. In 2017, he moved to Indonesia as Country Manager for Universal’s Big Leaf and Dark Air Cured operations. In 2023, he became CEO and President of Universal Leaf’s Dark Air Cured Division, overseeing operations across Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Indonesia and the United States. In April 2026, he joined Hail & Cotton as Executive Vice-President of the Dark Air Cured operations.

What We Believe

Hail & Cotton is a private-owned company with deep roots in communities around the world. For more than 120 years, we have produced the highest quality tobacco while cultivating personal relationships that pass down through generations. Our boardrooms are the tobacco fields in Wilson and Springfield, in Harare, Rio Grande do Sul, and Jember.

It all starts at the top.

Our CEO and the Executive Committee understand the hard work and dedication necessary for success. It means that we treat people and the product with respect. That the value of a relationship means more than the price of a bale.

Our culture is to hold firm in our business ethics, values and core principles or practices with what has always worked, whilst remaining innovative and being responsible stewards. Honoring our world. Protecting our environment. Nurturing our next generation. And standing by every employee, partner grower and customer of Hail & Cotton.

It’s what families do.