CHICAGO, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Tyson Foods ( TSN ) sought

to reassure investors that it has succession plans in place on

Thursday, after announcing this week that an executive seen by

some analysts as a possible future CEO left the company over

conduct violations.

The meatpacker said late on Tuesday that Chief Supply Chain

Officer Brady Stewart, who has also overseen its beef, pork and

prepared foods businesses, ran afoul of its code of conduct.

Tyson representatives have not responded to questions about the

violations.

The company appointed Devin Cole, who led its poultry and

international businesses, as chief operating officer and said he

will oversee those units plus beef, pork and prepared foods.

Shares fell to a one-month low on Wednesday as the

management change caught investors and analysts by surprise.

Some had considered Stewart, a former COO for Smithfield Foods ( SFD )

, as a candidate to eventually succeed Tyson CEO Donnie

King.

"We have a very robust succession mechanism in place at our

company," Cole said on a webcast of the Barclays Global Consumer

Staples Conference.

When asked about his expanded role, Cole said he had been

around the beef, pork and prepared foods businesses during his

time at Tyson, and did not expect major changes.

"This is thankfully not just a complete surprise to me or

others," he said.

Tyson has grappled with cautious consumer spending and its beef

business has been losing money as low U.S. cattle supplies have

forced meatpackers to pay more to buy livestock to slaughter.

But the company raised its annual revenue forecast last month as

quarterly profit margins improved in its chicken, pork and

prepared foods units.

"Brady had done a good job improving Tyson's relative

performance in beef, pork and prepared foods, and I'd thought he

was the heir apparent," said Heather Jones, founder of Heather

Jones Research, which focuses on agriculture and meat

companies.

"His departure was a shock."