MINNEAPOLIS – Cargill has realigned its senior leadership to support the broadening of its management team and enhance its focus on business growth.

"Today's changes will better prepare Cargill and our leadership team for the opportunities that lie ahead,” said Greg Page, chairman and CEO. “We have successfully navigated a period of global economic challenge and now our focus is on growth, particularly in the world's fastest-growing economies. As we invest in the future, we talk about creating a balanced, diverse and resilient Cargill. These individuals in their new roles will help lead us in this effort."


Paul Conway was named vice chairman; David MacLennan was named president and chief operating officer; Sergio Rial was named executive vice president and chief financial officer; Emery Koenig was named executive vice president and chief risk officer; and Bill Buckner, senior vice president, will add responsibilities for the company's food-safety efforts.

Conway joined Cargill in 1979 and held several merchandising roles with increasing responsibility in the UK, US and Switzerland before becoming a division head of UK corn processing in 1989. Throughout the 1990s, Conway worked in food processing businesses becoming executive vice president of Cargill's European Food Processing Businesses in 1997. He served as Cargill's president and regional director in Asia from 2006 to 2009, and became a Cargill senior vice president and member of its Corporate Leadership Team in 2006. He was elected to the Cargill Board of Directors in 2008.

MacLennan joined Cargill in 1991 and has held various leadership positions within the financial, risk management, energy, and animal protein businesses in the United States, London, and Geneva. He is a member of the Corporate Leadership Team and was elected Cargill's CFO and to the Cargill Board of Directors in 2008.

Rial began his career in banking and finance, taking on assignments of increasing responsibility with ABN AMRO in Brazil. At Cargill, Rial has served as leader of its Food Ingredients and Systems platform since July 2004 and leader of its Financial Services Platform since 2009. He became a senior vice president and member of the Corporate Leadership Team in 2009. He also serves as the company's regional director for Latin America and as executive chairman of CarVal Investors, an independently managed investment subsidiary of Cargill. He was elected to the Cargill Board of Directors in 2010.

Koenig has served as leader of the Cargill Agricultural Supply Chain Platform since April 2006 and leader of the Cargill Energy, Transportation and Industrial Platform since June 2007. He served as corporate vice president at Cargill from June 2007 to May 2010 and as business unit leader for Cargill's World Trading Unit from 1999 until April 2006. Since joining Cargill in 1978, Koenig has had 14 years of agricultural commodity trading and managerial experience in various locations in the US and 19 years of experience in the international commodity trading and risk management arena. Koenig currently serves as chairman of Black River Asset Management, an independently managed subsidiary of Cargill. He was elected to the Cargill Board of Directors in 2010.

Buckner serves as senior vice president of Cargill and platform leader for Cargill's Animal Nutrition, Animal Protein and Salt businesses. He is a member of Cargill's Corporate Leadership Team and chairs the Cargill Brand Reputation Committee and the Pension Investment Committee. He joined Cargill in 1987 in Canada and managed a beef processing plant in High River, Alberta. He was named CEO of Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill Meat Solutions in 1998, and was elected corporate vice president in January 2000.