JBS Readies 31-Year-Old Batista for Top Job After Family Scandal

For 65 years, a Batista ruled over JBS SA. Now, after a five-year hiatus, a member of the founding family is once again on deck to take the reins at what’s now the largest meat producer in the world — and he’ll have his work cut out for him.

Wesley Batista Filho

Photographer: Gladstone Campos/JBS

Although the Brazilian beef giant with operations in 15 countries on five continents hasn’t announced a C-suite succession plan, Wesley Batista Filho, 31, is next in line for the top spot, said people familiar with the Batista family and JBS operations who weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

Batista ...