DECATUR, ILLINOIS, U.S. — Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Patricia Woertz announced on Nov. 23 a slate of management appointments.

“To achieve our growth aspirations, we must expand and develop our leadership team,” Woertz said. “These moves help strengthen ADM’s leadership today and ensure a strong pipeline of capable leaders in the years to come.”

Effective Dec. 1, the following corporate officers have been promoted or named to new positions:

•  Mark Bemis has been named senior vice-president and president, Corn. Previously, he served as vice-president and president, Cocoa, Milling and Financial Services, where he was responsible for the unit’s operations and commercial activities. Bemis joined ADM in 1983, and has served in various merchandising and management positions in Agricultural Services, Corn, Oilseeds, Cocoa, Milling and Malt businesses.
• Matt Jansen has been named senior vice-president. He continues to serve as president, Global Oilseeds. He is responsible for the operations and commercial activities of businesses on four continents. He joined ADM in 1989, and has served as president of the ADM Grain Group, as president of ADM’s South American operations, as vice-president of Risk Management, Ethanol Trading and Sales.
• Craig Huss has been named senior vice-president. He continues to serve as president, Agricultural Services, and is responsible for its operations and commercial activities. He joined ADM in 1976, and has had various positions in grain elevator management and merchandising management. In 1999, he was promoted to president of ADM Transportation.
• Joe Taets, vice-president, has been named president, Grain, and is responsible for the company’s domestic and export grain businesses, grain merchandising operations, destination marketing business and ocean freight and vessel operations. He joined the company in 1988.
• Mark Kolkhorst has been appointed a corporate officer and named vice-president and president, Milling and Cocoa. He most recently served as president of ADM Milling, where he was responsible for all aspects of the company’s flour milling businesses in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and the U.K. Previously, he was president of Specialty Feed Ingredients and served in various management positions in grain merchandising. He joined ADM in 1986.
• Victoria Podesta, vice-president, has been named chief communications officer. Podesta joined ADM in 2007 as vice-president, Corporate Communications. Previously, she was a corporate communications consultant, specializing in communication strategy, corporate reputation, media relations and employee communications for global companies.
• Mike Baroni has been named vice-president, Economic Policy. He most recently served as president of the Corn business unit, responsible for its operations and commercial activities. Previously, he was president of the Specialty Food Ingredients business and held various business and sales management positions in the company’s Corn business unit. Baroni joined ADM in 1982.

Bemis, Jansen and Huss also join the company’s Strategic Planning Committee.

The following leadership appointments are also effective Dec. 1:

• Kris Lutt has been named president, Milling. Lutt joined ADM in 2002 with the acquisition of Minnesota Corn Processors. Within ADM’s Corn business unit, he served as general manager, Specialty Feed Ingredients; and vice-president, Corn Processing. In 2009, he was named advisor to the Office of the Chairman.
• Chris Boerm has been named advisor, Office of the Chairman. Boerm, joined ADM in 1991, and previously served as vice-president, Eastern Region Grain, and as senior merchandising manager.
• Conrad Givers has been named vice-president, Sweetener Sales. Givers joined ADM in 1990 and most recently served as manager, Cost Management, coordinating cost management activities throughout the company. Previously, he served in a variety of roles at ADM, including regional manager, Packaged Oils; and assistant vice-president, Corn Processing.