Overview
Dave MacLennan is the former CEO and Chairman of Cargill. MacLennan brings over 30 years of global experience in industrial and agricultural products and leading through enterprise-wide transformation. MacLennan serves on the boards of Ecolab, Caterpillar, Bechtel, and CARE, as well as on the board of trustees of Amherst. He was previously on the board of the Minnesota Business Partnership. His range of experience spans from healthcare to heavy industry.
Career History
During his 10 years at the helm of Cargill, he sharpened the company’s focus on customer success and operational efficiency and ensured its business portfolio effectively targeted opportunities in which the company could be a market leader. MacLennan drove operational change, impressing the importance of speed and agility, emphasizing accountability, and looking outside Cargill for answers. He emphasized creating a safe and inclusive work environment to foster talent development and growth, and in turn, growth and success for the business.
Before this role, he served as President and CEO and was earlier elected to the Cargill Board of Directors. He had also served as CFO and COO.
Previously, MacLennan led the U.S. business to help manage the expanding animal protein portfolio. Before this, he led the company’s petroleum trading business and served as a platform leader for Risk Management and Financial Services in Geneva.
MacLennan left Cargill for two years and joined U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray as Head of Fixed-Income Capital Markets, where he oversaw a business needing a turnaround.
In his first term with Cargill, he held several management positions in the U.S., U.K., and Switzerland, including roles within the financial and risk management, energy, and animal protein businesses.
MacLennan began his career as a runner and clerk at the Chicago Board of Trade, a hub of the nation’s agricultural commodity business. Subsequent moves led him to become SVP at LIT Holdings PLC in Chicago.
Personal
MacLennan received a B.A. in English from Amherst College and an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago. He has served on several corporate and nonprofit boards, focusing on the needs of underprivileged youth and access to education. He and his wife, Kathleen, have three adult children and currently reside in Massachusetts.