Heckman is excited about the opportunity to lead the way in sustainably feeding a growing world. With many converging trends—including increasing demand for oilseeds, renewable fuels, and more—he feels the agribusiness is uniquely positioned to create value with investors, customers, employees, and the world. “We have an unmatched global footprint, a culture of innovation, and a deep commitment to sustainability,” he says. Heckman is also proud of the St. Louis community. “People are genuinely committed to working together to build a better future for the region,” he says.
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2026 QUESTIONNAIRE
PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
What has been your/your company’s most significant success over the past 12 months? The closing of our combination with Viterra on July 2, 2025, was a defining moment for Bunge. It’s more than just a deal; it’s a strategic leap forward. We’re accelerating our diversification across assets, geographies, and crops, which strengthens our ability to navigate market volatility and address pressing global challenges like food security and renewable energy. I’m incredibly grateful to our colleagues for their energy and commitment. With the acquisition of Viterra, Bunge is now even better positioned as the premier agribusiness solutions company, backed by a broader global footprint and the deep expertise of approximately 37,000 talented colleagues. We have the right people, platform, and strategies in place to deliver value for our customers, from farmers to consumers, across food, feed, and fuel markets.
What has you most excited about the future of your company or industry? I’m excited about the opportunity to lead the way in feeding a growing world sustainably. There are so many trends converging—increasing demand for oilseeds, the focus on renewable fuels, and the imperative for sustainable supply chains. Bunge is uniquely positioned to capitalize on these trends. We have an unmatched global footprint, a culture of innovation, and a deep commitment to sustainability. I see tremendous opportunities for Bunge to create value for all stakeholders—our investors, customers, employees, and the world.
What’s the toughest business challenge you’ve had to overcome? One of the toughest challenges was transforming Bunge from a collection of disconnected regional businesses into a truly global, integrated organization. We saw the potential when I joined the board in 2018—an unmatched global footprint and a passionate team. But we weren’t leveraging our scale or expertise effectively. We were too slow to act and lacked accountability. We needed to streamline our operations, improve our decision-making, and foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and discipline. That required a fundamental shift in our approach. We adopted a mindset of continuous improvement, which was tough, but we continue to evolve and make tremendous progress. Now that the Viterra combination is complete, our teams are moving quickly to identify and capture cost savings, along with commercial opportunities we couldn’t pursue before closing. We are already moving to implement logistical and transportation efficiencies, with the potential to reduce expenses between origin and destination. These are durable synergies that will benefit everyone across the value chain. Our teams have hit the ground running, and I have been impressed by the seamless collaboration, partnership and unified sense of purpose across the company.
MENTORS & PEERS
What is a key strength of the St. Louis metro area business environment? St. Louis has a unique combination of assets. It’s got a rich history in agriculture, a central location with solid transportation infrastructure, and a growing innovation ecosystem, particularly in ag-tech. We’ve also benefited from having access to a skilled workforce. We’ve hired a ton of great people here. There’s also a strong sense of community. People are genuinely committed to working together to build a better future for the region.
BACKGROUND
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it? My first job after college was as a commodity merchant trainee at ConAgra (now Conagra Foods). I was involved in byproduct merchandising. It was a fantastic introduction to the world of agriculture commodity trading and logistics. I learned the importance of understanding the fundamentals of the business, building strong relationships, and acting with integrity. Understanding the risk management aspects of both physical and financial markets, as well as transportation and logistics, laid the foundation for my entire career.
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
What’s your hobby/passion? I enjoy spending time outdoors and consider myself a golf enthusiast. Golf has always been a great way to develop friendships, destress and recharge. But my real passion is spending time with my family. We travel to destinations near and far and enjoy everything from going on hikes and bike rides to spending evenings playing board games. Philanthropically, the University of Illinois made a huge difference in my life and my family, and I enjoy supporting the Athletic Department and our college athletes both home and away. I also believe in supporting organizations that are making advancements in the elimination of cancer and diabetes, both of which have touched our family.
What do you do when you’re feeling stuck or uninspired? When I’m feeling stuck, I try to step back and get a different perspective. I might talk to a colleague, visit one of our facilities, or simply reflect on our purpose and values. I like to have conversations, think out loud, and kick ideas around with other people. I’ve always had this great ecosystem of family, friends and businesspeople. I also have been fortunate to have different leaders—ones who I wanted to emulate and others who taught me how not to lead. And I love to read the latest books, especially on risk management. I guess you could say that I enjoy a mosaic of learning. Smart people, different experiences, new insights. I tap into my natural curiosity so I can continue to learn and grow.
