Tyson says CEO search may take a few months

CHICAGO, May 21 (Reuters) - Tyson Foods Inc's (TSN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) search for a permanent chief executive officer may include candidates from outside the company and the search may take another few months, Interim CEO Leland Tollett said in a statement to Reuters Thursday.

"As I've previously said, our goal is to select someone from our existing talent pool. Viable internal candidates continue to be evaluated by the Tyson Board of Directors, which has not ruled out the possibility of considering external candidates," said Tollett.

Tollett had previously said the CEO search could take three months to three years. But he told Reuters the time frame should be closer to the front end of that estimate, "but probably not in the next few months." (Reporting by Bob Burgdorfer, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)