CHICAGO — George Dowdie, executive vice president of global supply chain at Starbucks Corp., has been named a member of the board of directors of Conagra Brands, Inc., effective March 1.

Dowdie’s appointment brings the total members on Conagra’s board to 13.

“We are pleased to welcome George to the Conagra Brands board,” said Richard H. Lenny, chair, Conagra Brands. “Conagra and our shareholders will benefit from George’s extensive leadership experience in supply chain management and research and development within the food and beverage sector.”

As executive vice president of global supply chain Dowdie is responsible for Starbucks’ end-to-end supply chain, including procurement, manufacturing and distribution, as well as critical quality and food safety initiatives. He also has worked as senior vice president of global food safety, quality and regulatory at Starbucks.

Prior to joining Starbucks in 2013, Dowdie was senior vice president of global R&D and quality at Campbell Soup Co. Earlier in his career he held leadership roles at Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and Frito-Lay. He received a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee University and a doctorate in food science and technology from Louisiana State University.