MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S. — John S. Watson, retired chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Chevron Corp., has been elected to the Cargill board of directors, effective Feb. 1.

Watson recently retired from Chevron after 37 years with the company.

“We are delighted to welcome John to the Cargill board,” said David MacLennan, chairman and chief executive officer of Cargill. “John brings a wealth of experience from his long career at Chevron. He has a global perspective, with deep understandings of manufacturing economics, performance through technology, sectoral change and market volatility, geopolitical risk and more. John’s knowledge and insights will be invaluable for Cargill and our board.”

Watson joins six other independent directors on Cargill’s board: Richard Anderson, president and CEO of Amtrak; Louis Chenevert, retired chairman and CEO of United Technologies Corp.; Arthur Collins Jr., retired chairman and CEO, Medtronic, Inc.; Stephen Hemsley, executive chairman of UnitedHealth Group; Bernard Poussot, retired chairman, president and CEO of Weyeth; and Trudy Rautio, retired president and CEO of Carlson.

Cargill, a privately-owned company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products to customers worldwide.