WESTCHESTER, Ill., Apr 07, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Corn Products International, Inc. (NYSE:CPO):
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Brings Strong Track Record in Global Management and Executive
Leadership
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Samuel C. Scott III, Chairman, President and CEO, To Retire May 4,
2009
Corn Products International, Inc. (NYSE:CPO) today announced that its
board of directors has appointed Ilene Gordon chairman, president and
chief executive officer, effective May 4, succeeding Samuel C. Scott III
who, consistent with Company policy that senior executives step down by
age 65, is retiring.
After 35 years with the Company, Scott announced in January 2008 his
intention to retire. He has served as chairman and chief executive
officer of the Company since February 2001 and president since 1997.
"We thank Sam for his years of leadership and dedicated service to Corn
Products," said Board Member William S. Norman. "During Sam's tenure as
CEO, the Company greatly expanded its international operations, made
several key acquisitions and surpassed $3.9 billion in net sales.
"Upon learning of his intention to retire, the board refined a robust
succession plan that included key criteria for the new CEO. We then
focused on a thorough and deliberative search for his successor," Norman
continued. "We selected Ilene Gordon because of her strong leadership
skills, international experience, and knowledge of commodity businesses
and the food and beverage industry. We are confident this will be an
orderly, thorough and thoughtful transition."
Gordon, 55, has more than 30 years of senior-level, international
management experience and a proven track record as a leader.
Since 2007, she has been president and CEO, Rio Tinto's Alcan Packaging,
where she is responsible for leading a $6.5 billion global packaging
business with 130 factories in 30 countries servicing the food, beauty
and pharmaceutical industries, among others. From 2004 to 2006, she was
president of Alcan Food Packaging Americas, where she managed a business
with $1.4 billion in sales and 5,000 employees in six countries.
Prior to Alcan's acquisition of Pechiney in 2003, Gordon served in
positions of increasing responsibility with Pechiney and Tenneco for
more than 20 years, and began her career as a strategy consultant at the
Boston Consulting Group.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with
a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics, Gordon also earned a Master
of Science degree in management from MIT's Sloan School of Management.
She is a director of Arthur J. Gallagher & Company, chairing its
governance committee; and a director of United Stationers, serving on
its human resources and governance committees.
In accepting her new position, Gordon said, "Corn Products International
has strong operations worldwide, enjoys the support of flagship
customers, and has talented and committed employees in markets around
the world. I look forward to building on its strong market positions and
leading it forward in the years ahead."
Reflecting on his years at Corn Products International, Scott said,
"Since becoming a public company 11 years ago, by focusing on our core
values and pursuing our Pathways strategy, which we introduced in 2003,
Corn Products has exceeded each of the five key financial targets we
promised our stakeholders."
"Corn Products International has been able to navigate the challenging
global marketplace with discipline and much success to date. 2008 was an
exceptional year as the company continued to demonstrate that it can
perform well in a climate of unprecedented volatility. Gordon and the
rest of the management team have managed through challenging times
before at their respective organizations, and are prepared to deal with
the global recession of 2009," he added.
Conference Call and Webcast
Corn Products International will conduct a conference call today at 8:30
a.m. Eastern Time (7:30 a.m. Central Time) to be hosted by Sam Scott,
chairman, president and chief executive officer.
The call will be broadcast in a real-time webcast accessible through the
Corn Products International web site at www.cornproducts.com.
A replay of the webcast will be available at www.cornproducts.com.
Individuals without Internet access may listen to the live conference
call by dialing 719.325.4798. A replay of the audio call will be
available through Friday, April 17 by calling 719.457.0820 and using
passcode 1148160.
About the Company
Corn Products International is one of the world's largest corn refiners
and a major supplier of high-quality food ingredients and industrial
products derived from the wet milling and processing of corn and other
starch-based materials. The Company, headquartered in Westchester, Ill.,
is a leading worldwide producer of dextrose and a major regional
supplier of starch, high fructose corn syrup and glucose. In 2008, Corn
Products International reported record net sales and diluted earnings
per share of $3.94 billion and $3.52, respectively. The Company has
operations in 15 countries at 34 plants, including wholly owned
businesses, affiliates and alliances. For more information, visit www.cornproducts.com.
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SOURCE: Corn Products International, Inc.
Corn Products International, Inc.
Investor: Dave Prichard, (708) 551-2592
Media: Mark Lindley, (708) 551-2602