Marcel Smits

Biography

Marcel Smits was elected Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cargill in April 2013 and became Cargill’s Chief Compliance Officer in May of 2015.  He serves on Cargill’s Board of Directors and is a member of the Board’s Executive Committee and Finance and Risk Management Committee.  He is also a member of Cargill’s Executive Team, Financial Risk Committee, and is Chairman of the Cargill Process, Data and Technology Committee and the Business Ethics and Compliance Committee.  He is Cargill’s Regional Director – Latin America. As CFO, he is responsible for economic strategy and forecasting, financial performance and investment, and timely and accurate reporting of enterprise financials.  He is also responsible for all aspects of the Trade and Structured Finance (“TSF”) business. Prior to joining Cargill, Smits was CEO of Sara Lee and served as their CFO from October 2009 to May of 2010.  Before Sara Lee, he was the CFO for KPN and Vendex KBB in the Netherlands and has served in a variety of financial management positions for Unilever in Europe, Latin America, and Asia.  Outside of his executive responsibilities, Smits has served in a non-executive capacity in both for-profit and not-for-profit institutions.  He, from time-to-time, teaches governance at universities in the Netherlands. Smits holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration and a Master's Degree in Tax Law from the University of Amsterdam and is a Certified Public Accountant (NIVRA).    

Research Interest

Economic strategy and forecasting, financial performance and investment, and timely and accurate reporting of enterprise financials