November 19, 2015
Cargill''s corporate leadership team revamped
In a landmark change to its corporate leadership system, Cargill will ditch its current two-team model of close to 30 people combined, in favour of a single 10-person entity.
Effective from December 1 this year, the new structure will be led by CEO David MacLennan who was appointed to his current position two years ago. The latest decision is meant to simplify Cargill''s leadership structure and, hence, expedite the decision-making process, MacLennan said.
This move would dismantle the Cargill Leadership Team, which, along with the CEO, consists of four to five of the top-ranking executives. Another group, a second-tier leadership team of 24 executives, is expected to follow suit.
Despite these changes, Cargill "have not set any kind of target for reduction of our employees," Mark Klein, the company''s spokesman, clarified.
The new leadership team will include the CEO, heads of Cargill''s five key business divisions, and leaders of four functional operations (finance, human resources, business services and operations, and supply chain).
Its members include Marcel Smits, chief financial officer; Todd Hall, meat and salt business leader; G.J. van den Akker, grain origination and trading; Frank van Lierde, food ingredients; Joe Stone, animal feed; David Dines, energy, ocean transportation, metals trading and risk management services; Leigh Anne Baker, human resources; Kathy Fortmann, business services; and Ruth Kimmelshue, business operations and supply chain.
Members from the second-tier group, who are not appointed to the new team, will keep most of their present roles.
Meanwhile, company veterans, Paul Conway and Emery Koenig, will retire from Cargill in a few months'' time. The company acknowledged their contributions in establishing the revamped leadership structure.