Cargill names successor general counsel

Cargill has announced its new general counsel to succeed Laura Witte, who retired on May 31 after 33 years of service.

Anna Richo will join Cargill on January 14, 2019, as general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary, and become a member of the executive team. Richo most recently served as executive vice president and general counsel of UCB, a Belgium-based global biopharmaceutical company.

According to Cargill, Richo has extensive experience serving as legal counsel on science-based innovation and intellectual property matters, ‘which makes her a strong addition to the Cargill team as we look to advance our supply chains through R&D and disruptive technologies.’ Richo is also an expert on legal services, compliance and business ethics. 

Agricultural and food company Cargill has 155,000 employees across 70 countries.

The company has also announced that David Dines will be named CFO, effective December 1, and will continue as a member of Cargill’s executive team. Dines has previously led global trading businesses in financial and industrial sectors and is responsible for the creation and growth of Cargill’s risk management business.

The company’s current CFO, Marcel Smits, will move into a new strategic role, assuming leadership of Cargill Asia-Pacific, also effective December 1. Smits will also continue to serve on Cargill’s executive team. 

‘We’ve undertaken significant changes over the past three years to build a more agile and integrated Cargill to serve customers’ rapidly evolving needs. The world does not stand still, and neither will we,’ Cargill chair and CEO David MacLennan said in a statement on the appointments. ‘The changes announced today augment the strength and expertise needed to fuel Cargill’s growth, with a focus on integrating operations, increasing financial discipline and accelerating investments in markets of highest potential.’