Cargill named Brian Sikes as president and CEO, effective Jan. 1. Current CEO Dave MacLennan will assume the role of executive chair of Cargill’s board of directors.

Sikes will be the 10th CEO in Cargill’s 157-year history and brings a strong track record of business operational rigor to the role, having grown the company’s global Protein and Salt enterprise into an industry leader. Sikes currently serves as Cargill’s chief operating officer, where he has been instrumental in constructing the company’s long-term strategy

“As Cargill continues to navigate dynamic global markets, both operational excellence and a clearly articulated vision driven by purpose and values will define the company’s success, and there is no better person than Brian to lead Cargill,” said MacLennan. “He’s a person of action and results, with a relentless passion for serving our customers and our people. Brian has the qualities we value in a strong leader — integrity, empathy, resilience and authenticity. Under his leadership, I am confident the best days for Cargill, and its greatest contributions, lie ahead.”

Sikes will succeed MacLennan, who joined the company in 1991 and served in multiple executive roles, including CFO and COO, before becoming the company’s chairman and CEO in 2013. During his nine years at the company’s helm, MacLennan helped achieve outstanding financial results while feeding millions of families and building community resilience in more than 125 countries worldwide.

MacLennan is passionate about employee well-being, never compromising worker health and safety for production. He created Cargill’s sustainability office and built a culture that prioritizes and celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion. Under his leadership, the company is on a path to achieve gender parity by 2030 and the representation of women on the Executive Team has increased to 46%.

“I am honored to succeed Dave as Cargill’s President and CEO,” said Sikes. “Under his visionary leadership, Cargill has a solid foundation, business model and culture that positions us for long-term success. Our 160,000 employees across Cargill are the best in the industry. Together, we will grow with customers, strengthen our core and thoughtfully target new markets to ensure we are a reliable, sustainable partner for our customers, today and in the future.”

In his role as Executive chair of the board, MacLennan will ensure a smooth leadership transition, serve as a trusted strategic advisor to Sikes, the company and the board and support Cargill's long-term strategic plan.