Bunge names leadership team for proposed future combined organization upon close of Viterra transaction

Bunge Global SA (NYSE: BG) announced the executive leadership team for the combined Bunge and Viterra business following the close of the proposed transaction. As previously announced, following the close of the transaction, the combined company will be led by Greg Heckman, Bunge’s Chief Executive Officer and John Neppl, Bunge’s Chief Financial Officer.  

Viterra CEO, David Mattiske will become Co-Chief Operating Officer (COO) along with Julio Garros, Bunge’s Co-President, Agribusiness.  In their roles as Co-COOs, they will jointly oversee the commercial activities of the future combined organization which includes commodity value chains, country/regional structures, Centers of Expertise and Industrial Operations & Safety.  

″The future combined company will expand its reach into more crops and countries, offering farmers greater market access and differentiated, value-added solutions in all key origins. Food, feed & fuel customers will benefit from a broader product portfolio and expanded global supply options,″ said Greg Heckman, Bunge’s Chief Executive Officer. ″Creating the Co-COO positions ensures we have the right level of leadership focus on the multiple commercial and operational streams so that we identify the strengths of our current organizations and leverage them globally as we come together as One Bunge.″

Also serving on the executive leadership team of the future combined company will be Kellie Sears, Chief Human Resources Officer; Joe Podwika, Chief Legal Officer; Robert Wagner, Chief Risk Officer; Pierre Mauger, Chief Transformation Officer; Debra King, Chief Technology Officer; and Robert Coviello, Chief Sustainability Officer and Government Affairs.

These global functional leaders will set strategy globally, focused on streamlining and standardizing processes and systems to more effectively support the business.  This global effort will be complemented with strong regional/local execution. This approach sets the combined company up for success by ensuring greater agility across our value chains, improve utilization of the combined assets and opportunity for the combined team to innovate and deliver for customers.

Other key commercial leaders of the future combined organization include Christos Dimopoulos who assumes the newly created role of Executive Vice President, Global Markets.  He will partner with the Co-COOs to deliver results by driving the commercial strategy and risk deployment, while being directly responsible for the ocean freight, global logistics, research, financial services, central hedge desk and special risk units. Aaron Buettner will continue to lead Food Solutions, which includes the tropical oils value chain, specialty oils, food protein, lecithin and corn milling. He will be responsible for leading Bunge’s food go-to-market strategy, working closely with the value chains to grow our business with food customers.

These leadership appointments are effective once the transaction closes, which is anticipated to occur in mid-2024, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals.