more than a handful of years in the headquarters office In Minneapolis. That’s significant for many reasons, one of which is, she met her husband, Bob Knuth, there. “We joke that he grew up in Nebraska and I grew up in a suburb of New York City, so the only place we could have met is Minneapolis.” And, indeed they did at a dinner party. But Thompson’s Cargill career continued unabated with senior positions in several of the company’s businesses, including, most recently, a three-year stint as president and managing director of Cargill Meats Europe in the United Kingdom. She came to Bonduelle Fresh Americas from Cargill, moving to California and joining the value- added salad company in October of 2018.
The California Experience : Mary said her husband was in charge of the move from England to California and has been “the general contractor” in getting the family settled in their new environment. He soon will seek a return to the work force in the non-profit world, which has consumed most of his career. “We are loving California,” Mary said. “There is so much natural beauty. Of course we knew about the ocean and the coast but the mountains are also stunning.” The family lives in Pasadena with the San Gabriel Mountains overhead. “We are outdoor people and love the opportunities here including biking and running. We love to ski and in fact, went skiing on the Fourth of July.”
its corporate social responsibility strategy, identifying the goals the company will target over the next five years. “We have long been committed to ensuring the well-being of people and our environment,” said Thompson in a press release. “Our company is driven by this commitment, and publishing these goals—and inviting our customers and consumers to join us on our journey— are exciting next steps for us.” The goals support the objectives launched by Bonduelle in 2011 as part of its 2025 strategic vision. These objectives include promoting sustainable agriculture and reducing the firm’s environmental impacts, as well as feeding people well and feeding them sustainably. The updated strategic goals cover issues ranging from water use and packaging to human rights and labor. For example, the firm is planning to reduce water intensity and energy use by 25 percent in all of its production plants, achieve zero waste in all of its facilities, and transition to a packaging portfolio that is 100 percent recyclable, reusable, or compostable. A Rural Urbanite : CEOThompson has worked and lived near Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, and in England. But she was born in Texas, married a farm boy from Nebraska, and her family hails from the rural South. So she self identifies as both country and city. Mary grew up mostly in Connecticut, the daughter of an engineer, and earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard in Boston before attaining her Masters at Columbia University in New York City. After college, she first worked for the East West Institute and then for Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. At both stops she wore the Director of Development title with the employment spanning several years at each place. Lengthy Cargill Career : In total, Mary spent 25 years with Cargill, Incorporated, a global business with many entities, with its core focus being the trading, purchasing, and distribution of agricultural commodities. Her career included postings in executive positions for many of the entities and divisions, with
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JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2020
Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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