WICHITA, Kan. – Jody Horner, president of Cargill Meat Solutions, is leaving the company after 30 years with the company. She will end her presidency with Cargill at the end of the year and begin official duties as president of Midland Univ. in Fremont, Neb. on Feb. 1, 2015. Cargill said Horner "felt it was the right time to pursue this opportunity." 

Jody Horner

Horner started her career with Cargill as a commodity merchant buying wheat and trading grain futures. She spent 10 years working in various risk management and leadership positions within Cargill's flour milling business.

Horner would go on to join Cargill's Corporate Strategy and Business Development Group where she managed a variety of merger, acquisitions, strategy and international business development projects, including a long-term project in Bangkok, Thailand.

In 2000, Horner was promoted to vice president of Human Resources where she oversaw human resource activities in North America and Asia. She also served as vice president of Corporate Diversity. Horner was elevated to president of Cargill Salt, and in 2008, she was named president of Cargill Meat Solutions.

Horner has served on the Board of Regents for St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., where she earned a Bachelor of Economics. Midland's board of directors voted unanimously for Horner to become university's 16th president. She was among 200 candidates considered for the job.

"We are delighted to have successfully recruited Jody to Midland. Jody quickly rose to the top of an unbelievably qualified pool of applicants, not only for her success leading blue-chip enterprises through impressive growth, but also for her values-based service to her community as a mentor and board member of a Lutheran college," said Gary Perkins, Midland Univ. board chairman. "When we began this search process we hoped to find a proven leader, capable of sustaining our growth trajectory while enhancing our ability to fulfill our mission of service, and in finding Jody we exceeded expectations on all fronts.”

Horner also holds a Master of Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management at the Univ. of Minnesota. She succeeds Ben Sasse as Midland Univ. president.

“I am delighted to steward an institution with the proud heritage and bright future of Midland Univ.,” Horner said. “I look forward to furthering the momentum that Midland has achieved under the leadership of President Sasse.”