Marcel Smits is the former CEO and Chair of Cargill Asia Pacific, a global leader in the food and agriculture sector, where he led the company through a period of significant growth and operational transformation. Under his leadership, Cargill focused on expanding its global footprint, particularly in emerging markets, while maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability and responsible sourcing. He played a pivotal role in driving Cargill’s expansion into new markets and increasing its investment in technology to enhance organizational efficiency.
With more than 30 years of experience in the corporate world, Marcel has held senior leadership positions across a range of industries, including finance, operations, and governance. Prior to joining Cargill, Marcel held CFO and CEO positions at Sara Lee, KPN (the Dutch telco) and Vendex KBB (a European retail conglomerate) where he led corporate transformations. He has been a non-executive board member at various corporations but also at not-for-profit organizations such as unions, employers organizations, charities.
Marcel is currently dedicating his time in helping young people and early-stage companies to be successful. He has been an investor in start-up companies since 2007 and since leaving the corporate world spends most of his time on a portfolio of early stage companies as an investor, advisor and board member. Marcel occasionally published and teaches. He is the founder of Stridy which is trying to build a global community of people who help to keep our living environments clean.
