Former Monsanto CFO to head CHS

CHS Inc. has named veteran agribusiness leader and former Monsanto chief financial officer Carl Casale as its new president and chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2011.

Casale, who most recently was executive vice president and chief financial officer for Monsanto Co., will succeed John Johnson who will retire Dec. 31, 2010. In his previous role, Casale was responsible for finance, strategy and information technology resources.

"The CHS Board believes that in Carl Casale weve found an individual whose impressive depth of domestic and global agribusiness knowledge, strategic ability, financial acumen, and leadership experience will carry CHS forward," says Michael Toelle, CHS Board chairman and a Browns Valley, MN, farmer. "Most of all, we believe weve selected a candidate whose rural roots, active involvement in agriculture, personal style and values are compatible with our culture and our strong, producer-focused company."

Toelle says the CHS Board of Directors selected Casale to lead the nations largest producer-owned cooperative following an extensive search which included both internal and external candidates.

"I feel privileged and excited to be part of a company owned by farmers and ranchers and to help CHS embrace new opportunities to add value for producers in a dynamic global marketplace," Casale says.

Casale, 49, is a native of Oregons Willamette Valley. He and his wife, Kim, operate a family-owned blueberry farm near Aurora, OR, which has done business with area supply and marketing cooperatives for generations. Casale joined Monsanto in 1984 as a sales representative in eastern Washington. He has held numerous sales, strategy, marketing and technology-related positions with Monsanto. Before assuming his most recent position as CFO in 2009, he was executive vice president, Strategy and Operations, overseeing its strategy, manufacturing and information technology organizations. Previously he served as executive vice president, North American commercial operations.