WICHITA, Kan. – Mary Thompson, president of Cargill Value-Added Meats, was tapped to lead the company’s European poultry business. Thompson assumes the role from Pilar Cruz who was appointed corporate vice president of strategy and business development at Cargill’s headquarters in Minneapolis. Thompson’s appointment is effective Aug. 1. 

Mary Thompson

Previously, Thompson was president of Cargill Kitchen Solutions, the company’s North American egg business and vice president of the corn milling business. Thompson also led the company’s dry corn ingredients group. As president of Cargill Value-Added Meats, Thompson is credited with the successful integration of an acquisition which garnered the Cargill Chairman’s Award for High Performance.

Thompson holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and an MBA from Columbia Univ. in New York. Cargill plans to name her successor at a later date.