Florian Schattenmann will join Cargill on November 12 as vice president of research & development (R&D) and innovation, filling the company’s top job in R&D and innovation and serving in the capacity of the company’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Schattenmann most recently served as vice president of Performance & Coatings R&D at The Dow Chemical Co.
“Cargill was founded on the premise that there’s a better way to feed the world. The work of our Research & Development team – together with our broad approach to innovation – is critical to fulfilling our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible, sustainable way,” said Ruth Kimmelshue, senior vice president, Cargill business operations and supply chain. “Florian’s vision for innovation, customer orientation, deep scientific and technical expertise, and global outlook make him the ideal R&D leader as we seek to build on Cargill’s deep history of innovation and solutions to address changing consumer trends.”
In this role, Schattenmann will lead the global R&D organization, which includes more than 2,000 scientists and technical leaders working in more than 200 locations to generate distinctive value through new, improved products and innovative approaches. Cargill has identified innovation as a critical capability to propel future success, and Schattenmann will set Cargill’s innovation agenda, in close partnership with its core businesses.
Schattenmann said: “I am truly excited about the opportunity to lead R&D and innovation at Cargill. Cargill has all the right ingredients – exceptional global scale; a willingness to transform; and a unique position at the intersection of life sciences, chemistry and big data – to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. I look forward to helping Cargill become the undisputed innovation leader in diverse fields ranging from food production to bio-industrials.”
Since joining Dow in 2010, Schattenmann held several R&D leadership positions, including vice president of Core R&D, and director of R&D for polyurethanes, systems & automotive solutions. Prior to joining Dow, Schattenmann worked in scientific and technology-related roles at Sulphco Inc. (chief technology officer); Momentive Performance Materials; General Electric Co.; and Colgate-Palmolive Co. Schattenmann is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and holds seven U.S. patents. He serves as a board member and/or adviser to several institutions, including as chairman of the Chemistry External Advisory Board at the University of Minnesota. He earned his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and his Diplom Chemiker degree from the Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
