WESTCHESTER, ILLINOIS, U.S. — Ingredion Incorporated announced on Jan. 8 that Ernesto Pousada has been appointed senior vice-president and president, South America, effective Feb. 1.

Reporting to Jim Zallie, Ingredion executive vice-president global specialties and president, Americas, Pousada will be responsible for the region's financial and operational performance. He succeeds Ricardo Souza who is retiring after over 35 years.

He will join Ingredion from Suzano Papel e Celulose, a $2.5 billion leader in the Brazilian pulp and paper industry, where he has been the chief operating officer for the past eight years. Pousada also spent 15 years at Dow Chemical managing business divisions in South America, the U.S. and Europe.

A Brazilian national, Pousada holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia in Brazil and a specialization in business administration from Fundação Instituto de Administração, also in Brazil.

"We welcome Ernesto to Ingredion,” said Zallie. “His comprehensive experience, global perspective and leadership skills will be valuable assets as we continue our journey transforming the company into a world-class supplier of specialty ingredient solutions."