Michael G. Venker

Michael Venker retired in 2012 from Cargill Inc, a privately held U.S. based agriculture and food processing company founded in 1865 in Iowa. He was named president of Cargill’s dressings, sauces and oils business in June 2006 and served in that position until 2012. Cargill’s dressing, sauces and oils division is the largest domestic processor of food grade vegetable oils. 

Venker also served as chairman of the Institute of Edible Oils, a U.S. industry nonprofit during this time. During Venker’s career, he held the position of president of Cargill Salt from 2003-2006 in Saint Clair, Mich. He was also chairman of the Salt Institute, a U.S. industry nonprofit. From 1993-1998, Venker was president and general manager of Richland Sales, a Cargill fruit business in Fresno, Ca. Venker joined Cargill’s oilseed business as a merchandising manager when Cargill acquired Ralston Purina’s oilseed-processing plants in 1986. He held various merchandising and management responsibilities with the company’s oilseeds operations in Iowa Falls, Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa, and Sidney, Ohio until 1990, when he was named general manager of Cargill’s oilseeds-processing plant in Gainesville, Ga. He was hired by Ralston Purina in 1979 as a commodity buyer in their largest U.S. feed mill located in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Venker started his agri-business career as an agricultural economist at LSU under Dr. Harlon Traylor in 1978. Upon the recommendation of Dr. Traylor, Venker was hired to contribute to a National Grain Flow study under Dr. Lowell Hill at the University of Illinois in 1979. Venker completed his final study, researching imported grain quality at Tilbury Grain Terminal in England. Venker is a 1978 graduate of LSU with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business and economics.