In a March 24, 2022, interview with Successful Farming, Sheryl Wallace described leading Cargill’s North America Grain business, a role she said covered 110 facilities, trading and merchandising, and the barge business. She discussed the customers and services behind that remit, her career at Cargill, workplace inclusion, and the forces she believed could reshape grain markets. The interview reflects her role and views at that time; the sources cited here do not establish her current position.
What did Wallace’s North America Grain role cover?
Wallace said her commercial responsibilities included 110 facilities, as well as trading and merchandising and Cargill’s barge business. That figure describes the scope she reported in the 2022 interview, not a current facility count. Read the interview at Successful Farming.
She described the business as serving customers at both ends of the supply chain: farmers, and customers in food, feed, and fuel. The team’s work included supply-chain support, price-risk-management services, and regenerative-agriculture solutions. “Every day, thousands of people on our team support customers on both ends of the supply chain,” Wallace said.
How did Wallace build her career at Cargill?
After attending the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, Wallace joined Cargill as a commodity merchant. Her career included roles in agriculture, oilseed processing, edible oils, flour milling, and financial services. The interview says she became president of North America Grain in 2019.
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What challenges did she recall from her first two years?
Looking back in 2022, Wallace cited a series of disruptions and operational demands: the China trade war, the pandemic, a severe Canadian drought in 2021, deployment of a major technology system, and damage to a Gulf of Mexico export terminal caused by Hurricane Ida. She said safety and keeping supply chains operating were priorities, and noted Cargill’s mental-health support for employees.
What did Wallace expect to shape grain markets?
Wallace framed her outlook as possibility rather than certainty. She pointed to renewable fuels, sustainability priorities, consumer preferences, innovation in seeds and farming practices, changing global grain flows, and the prospect of greater market volatility. These were her expectations, not a forecast of outcomes established by the interview.
“While I don’t have a crystal ball, I can imagine a world where there is less hunger; climate change has stalled or even started improving; fuel from agriculture commodities is the norm; markets are more volatile; innovation in seed, technology, and farming practices have improved ag production; and global grain flows are different than they are today.”
— Sheryl Wallace, on the future of grain trading, merchandising, and the barge business
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A later Cargill release, published January 13, 2023, also identified Wallace as president of North America Grain. It discussed a planned addition of a Houston export terminal to TEMCO; the release described that addition as intended, not as a completed expansion. Read Cargill’s release.
Why did she emphasize inclusion?
Wallace presented gender equality and inclusion as both personal priorities and business concerns. In her view, a diverse workforce can strengthen customer service, innovation, problem-solving, and execution. Her comments connect inclusion to how teams serve customers and adapt to operational challenges, rather than treating it only as a recruitment issue.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What advice did Wallace offer?
For young women interested in STEM careers, Wallace’s advice was direct: “Stay with it!” Asked what she might tell her younger self, she said: “Dream big, bigger than you can imagine, embrace your story, and enjoy the journey.”
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