Dave MacLennan served as the CEO, Board Chair, and Executive Chair of Cargill from 2013 to 2023. He was the 9th CEO since the company's founding in 1865.
He began his 33-year Cargill career in The Financial Markets Division and lived and worked for Cargill in Minneapolis, London, and Geneva. Prior to becoming CEO, he also served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer and was a member of the Cargill Board of Directors for over 15 years.
During his time as CEO, revenues grew to over $175B. He successfully led the company through the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and significant geopolitical events in last years of his tenure, and he was known for his commitment to safety, inclusion, culture change, and portfolio and organizational realignment. Cargill employs over 155,000 people in 70 countries around the world.
Prior to joining Cargill, he began his career in the financial sector in Chicago. He was a member of the Chicago Board of Trade and Board of Options Exchange, and later in his career, president of fixed income capital markets at USBancorp Piper Jaffray.
MacLennan serves on the boards of Ecolab (Lead Independent Director), Caterpillar (Chair, Sustainability and Public Policy Committee) and Bechtel. His non-profit boards include CARE and Amherst College, and he is a member of the advisory board of American Securities. He also serves as an Executive Coach and advisor for Fortune 100 companies and has been a featured speaker and presenter at colleges, universities and private organizations.
He is a member of the Business Council and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Amherst College and an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Chicago.