On April 25, 2017, President and CEO of Cargill Mr. David W. MacLennan came to the school, took “managing changes” as the theme, and proceeded from the running of the largest private enterprise in the world to share with young people his experience in leading the enterprise and coping with changes.

Director of Cargill Richard Cargill, President of Cargill China Robert Aspell, Dean of our School Xiongwen LU, Associate Dean Yimin SUN and Associate Dean Zhiwen YIN attended this forum chaired by Assistant Professor Zheying WU at the Department of Business Administration of our School.

Cargill is one of the largest private multinational enterprises in the world with business ranging from food, agriculture, industry and finance and more than 150,000 employees in 70 countries in the world. It sticks to the mission of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable manner, and keeps promoting economic development and social harmony in the world in changes.

Cargill established in 1865 as a granary gradually developed into a plural multinational enterprise group integrating food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services in more than 150 years. David W. MacLennan said, “Many people want to know the secret of Cargill’s success. For me, the most important key is: suiting the action to the word.”

Coping with challenges with ease: “trying to win” in changes

With the birth and development of the Internet, the world no longer consisted of independent blocks and became a complex but interrelated whole full of changes and uncertainties. “Under this situation, it is very important to have a global vision.” David W. MacLennan emphasized, “When book knowledge cannot meet the current business demand, we should learn to take bold and decisive action relying on our own judgment.” Cargill follows seven guiding principles: abiding by law; running business in good faith; making records accurately and honestly; performing business commitments; treating people with dignity and respect; protecting Cargill’s information, assets and interests; becoming a responsible global citizen. On the basis of these seven guiding principles, Cargill always attaches importance to maintaining its originality and creativity, enabling various business blocks and Cargill people to cope with various complex and changeful business environments with full confidence and grasping opportunities to thrive on brand new territories.

Managing Cargill: I am most concerned about three things

At the link of Q&A after the end of the speech, the attendants actively asked questions covering the attitude held by Cargill in risk management, contribution to environmental protection, how to create business opportunities relying on emerging technologies, etc. When answering one attendant’s question about the most important things in corporate management, David W. MacLennan emphasized, “I am most concerned about the following things. The first one is the safety of Cargill’s employees. As a leader, I care for all employees and will do everything possible to ensure their safety. The second one is ensuring our food safety and allowing all of Cargill’s consumers to have peace of mind and rest assured. The third one is how to maintain the company’s growth. Cargill has a history of 150 years but is not old. It is a company still full of vitality.”

At the end of the forum, David W. MacLennan said emotionally, “The future is in the hands of the young generation. It needs to be carried forward with young people’s wisdom and strength.”