MINNEAPOLIS – Cargill announced changes to the company’s executive leadership.

Effective Dec. 1, David Dines will be Cargill’s CFO. Dines previously led the company’s global trading businesses in the financial and industrial sectors, and he is responsible for the creation and growth of Cargill’s risk management business. 

Dines replaces the current CFO, Marcel Smits, who will move into a new strategic role leading Cargill Asia Pacific. Smits worked in Asia earlier in his career which makes him well positioned to lead the company’s accelerated growth plan in the Asia Pacific region.

Anna Richo will join Cargill on Jan. 14, 2019, as general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary. Richo most recently served as executive vice president and general counsel of UCB, a Belgium-based global biopharmaceutical company. She succeeds Laura Witte, who retired as Cargill’s general counsel on May 31, after 33 years of service.

“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,” said David MacLennan, Cargill chairman and CEO. “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. These strategic moves position us to lead with our purpose and deliver a sustainable future for food and agriculture.”