Chris Mallett was named corporate vice president of Cargill Research & Development in January 2005 and leads all R&D resources across Cargill.
Prior to joining Cargill, Mallett had an academic career in Austria and Australia. He then joined Unilever, the consumer goods multinational, where he held various leadership positions in R&D in the European edible oils and frozen food business. From 1994 to 2001, Mallett served successively as chief of division, executive vice president, and deputy CEO for CSIRO Australia, the nation’s premier science agency. In 2001 he joined the dairy multinational Fonterra in New Zealand as senior vice president of R&D and CTO.
He has also served on many Boards and Advisory Boards in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the US. He is currently Treasurer and a member of the Board of the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, which was authorized by Congress as part of the 2014 Farm Bill to leverage public and private resources to increase the scientific and technological research, innovation, and partnerships critical to boosting America's agricultural economy.
He was elected fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 1999, and was the recipient of a 2000 Centenary Medal of Australia for contribution to R&D.
Mallett, who is a Manxman, received his bachelor's, master’s and D.Phil degrees in chemistry from Oxford University. He is married with three adult children.