Research and development

Ann 

• Technical director, Cargill Value Added Meats, retail and foodservice 
• Leads research and new product development 
• First joined Cargill in 1999, then again in 2004 after completing Ph.D. 
• Based in Wichita, Kansas, U.S. 

Why did you join Cargill? 

Cargill offered opportunity and support for technology (R&D) that I believed would provide a good environment for growth, learning business practices and using my technical knowledge. 

What kinds of problems do you help solve? 

Our team works together on researching new food safety interventions, product ingredients, production processes and new product development on multiple types of meat products. 

What is it like to work in R&D at Cargill? 

Several things stand out. The talent here is excellent. For most questions, you can find someone inside Cargill with an answer. Second, when it comes to the ethical representation of scientific findings, you are always able to represent the true findings without regard to whether they are negative or positive to the business. Third, ours is a collaborative culture with many opportunities to work with others inside and outside the company. Finally, our technical efforts are increasingly important to business goals. Technical people are thus playing a bigger part in Cargill’s business success. 

What keeps you at Cargill? 

It is rewarding to see Cargill products in the market. But it’s also rewarding to be able to provide opportunities for my team to grow, learn new technologies, apply them to customer products and ultimately satisfy customers. 

What might you tell someone interested in an opportunity in Cargill R&D? 

Cargill insists that you set your career goals and that you communicate them. But you should truly want your goals because most of your requests are fulfilled. You may come in as an expert in microscopy, but you can identify new things to learn. And through the many opportunities to collaborate, you will be exposed to many areas.