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Forbes
02-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Jennifer Hartsock Reshapes Cargill's Technology Operating Model
Oil tanks of the sunflower processing plant of Cargill in the port of Saint-Nazaire, France Jennifer Hartsock, Chief Information and Digital Officer of Cargill, leads technology at a company that operates on a massive global scale with more than 150,000 employees across 70 countries and commercial activity in over 100. In 2024, Cargill earned an estimated $160 billion in revenue. 'We feed the equivalent of about 500 million people full calories for an entire year,' Hartsock explained with pride. 'We are all over the place in the food and agriculture supply chain.' Since joining Cargill over three years ago, Hartsock has helped lead a sweeping digital transformation and organizational restructuring that aligns technology operations more closely with the complexity and mission of the business. One of her most significant contributions has been reorganizing the technology team to move away from an efficiency-centric outsourcing model toward a product-focused and proximity-driven structure. Transforming IT to Accelerate Outcomes Cargill's previous IT operating model was a vestige of a time when the company operated like a holding company with over 100 independent business units. The shift to a centralized operating model brought efficiency but often sacrificed speed and clarity. 'We were structured for efficiency of spend more than proximity to who we serve,' Hartsock noted. The new model groups technology teams into four major categories: 'We found that we were not only more effective but also more efficient,' she said of the transformation. 'My colleagues have noticed how we show up differently.' Creating Ownership and Accountability in a Product Model Although the enterprise-level technology leaders don't carry the title of CIO, Hartsock's direct reports operate as such in practice. 'They are the owners of their engineering talent and data teams,' she said. 'They get to make decisions in partnership with our colleagues in those business units or functions.' Proximity to business outcomes is a defining feature of the new structure. Decision-making authority around talent and capital allocation resides with those closest to the outcomes. 'We want to put the decision as close to those who have to live with the consequences as possible,' Hartsock explained. This has enabled faster iteration, clearer accountability and improved business alignment. Data Governance With Purpose and Precision Cargill has taken a pragmatic and evolving approach to managing data across its varied businesses. 'We spent a lot of time thinking about those data domains and where we need to drive for commonality,' Hartsock said. In some cases such as customer data, over-centralization proved counterproductive due to the distinct ways each business unit defines and interacts with its customers. Jennifer Hartsock, Chief Information & Digital Officer of Cargill By segmenting where data should be centralized, shared across business units or governed at the regional level, Hartsock and her team have built flexibility into the company's data strategy. 'We believe in having good data platforms that help inform insights and decision-making,' she said. 'We're in the business of trying to figure out both all the time.' Insourcing Talent to Deepen Capability and Commitment When Hartsock joined Cargill in February of 2022, 80% of Cargill's digital and IT talent was outsourced. Her strategy targets a reversal of that ratio to 60% insourced. 'Even when done perfectly [outsourcing] is still a bifurcation of focus,' she underscored. 'We will be able to do more, we will be able to do it better, we will be able to do it faster and we will do it as a consequence less expensively.' Cargill has launched a global hiring effort focused on engineers, cybersecurity experts, data scientists and application specialists. The company opened a tech hub in Atlanta and is expanding in Bangalore. 'We exceeded our hiring target of 300 last fiscal year and will hire over 500 this year,' Hartsock said. Once the transition is complete, the team will consist of 5,000 to 6,000 people with more than 60% directly employed by Cargill. Accelerating AI With Practical Application Cargill's AI strategy focuses on four categories: 'We consider ourselves a mainstream adopter, but from my informal market research, Cargill is on the leading edge of mainstream,' Hartsock observed. From using AI to support ERP modernization to generating insights that improve food shelf life, adoption is moving beyond pilot projects. 'They are in production,' Hartsock emphasized. 'They are running. They are absolutely generating positive outcomes.' A generative AI tool is already helping sales teams recommend food ingredients to bakery clients based on detailed specifications. To ensure value realization, her team rigorously monitors usage and business impact. 'If we're not seeing what we expect, we've got two choices: figure out what's broken or shut it down,' she explained. AI adoption is tied tightly to measurable business outcomes. Ethical Innovation With an Eye Toward the Future In line with Cargill's purpose of nourishing the world safely, responsibly and sustainably, Hartsock emphasizes responsible technology use. 'If we can't do it safe and responsible and sustainable, we don't want to do it,' she said. The company has chosen to keep a human in the loop for all generative AI use cases for now though it is exploring the potential of autonomous agents. Through intentional leadership, structural transformation and pragmatic innovation, Hartsock is helping Cargill do just that at massive scale and with purpose at the center. Peter High is President of Metis Strategy, a business and IT advisory firm. He has written three bestselling books, including his latest Getting to Nimble. He also moderates the Technovation podcast series and speaks at conferences around the world. Follow him on Twitter @PeterAHigh.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The World's Largest Sailing Yacht Just Hit the Water for the First Time
The world's largest sailing yacht just made a mighty splash in France. The Orient Express Corinthian completed her all-important float-out in Saint Nazaire on June 16, following four and a half months of assembly at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard. The 722-footer was moved from the construction dock to the water for the first time, with tugs then guiding it along a set course to the outfitting dockyard. The vessel will now undergo final outfitting, systems integration, and finishing. More from Robb Report LeBron James Collabed With Richard Mille on a Limited-Edition Lakers-Inspired Watch Jim Beam Just Unveiled a New Little Book Whiskey Blend That Includes Brown Rice Bourbon This $3.2 Million Brooklyn Brownstone Honors Its Past While Embracing Modern Design Orient Express, which has been a part of the Accor Group since 2022, first announced it was expanding beyond luxury trains and into high-end sailing in January 2023. (Hospitality titans such as Ritz-Carlton, Belmond, Aman, and Four Seasons have also ventured into the marine industry.) It enlisted noted French yachtmaker Chantiers de l'Atlantique to build two cruise liners, with Orient Express Corinthian and Orient Express Olympian expected to set sail in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Orient Express Corinthian is not only the world's largest sailing yacht by length, but it is also equipped with three towering masts that stand at approximately 328 feet and support over 16,000 square feet of rigid sails. It is also the first sailing yacht to be equipped with the SolidSail propulsion system. This nifty setup enables the masts to be tilted and rotated to maximize the wind, thereby reducing fuel consumption, lowering operating costs, and increasing efficiency. Corinthian can cruise silently on the seas using sails alone, but the engines will kick in if more grunt is required. The hybrid propulsion system will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), which produces fewer emissions than standard marine diesel. Corinthian will allow guests to cruise the seas in the lap of luxury, too. The yacht features a lavish interior designed by Orient Express artistic director Maxime d'Angeac. The decor pays homage to the golden age of rail travel and legendary ocean liners, such as Normandie, while incorporating chic contemporary design. The layout includes 54 suites, ranging from 485 to 2,476 feet. Each one showcases expansive picture windows or a private terrace. The vessel will also have five restaurants and private dining spaces, all of which will be helmed by Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno. There will also be eight bars, including a 1930s speakeasy and a Parisian-style cabaret hall inspired by iconic spots like the Moulin Rouge Orient Express Corinthian is scheduled to set sail in June 2026, cruising in the Mediterranean and Adriatic in the summer, before heading to the Caribbean. Orient Express Olympian is expected to hit the seas in the summer of 2027. To book, visit the Orient Express website. Book your journey today: Best of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
