ADM Hires Katherine Pickus as Chief Sustainability Officer: 6 Things to Know

ADM, a global agriculture and food processing company focused on human and pet nutrition, has hired Katherine Pickus to succeed Alison Taylor as chief sustainability officer (CSO).

Here are six things to know about ADM's business, and Pickus's executive experience.

1. Business Scope, Scale and Focus: ADM, founded in 1902, is based in Chicago, Illinois. The company, formerly known as Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, is backed by roughly 38,000 employees. ADM "transforms agricultural commodities into ingredients and products for food, feed, fuel, and industrial and consumer products," according to ADM's 2024 Sustainability Report.

2. Business Performance and Company Challenges: Annual ADM revenue was $85.5 billion in 2024, down from $93.9 billion in 2023. Amid revenue and profit weakness, the company announced plans to cut roughly 700 employees in February 2025, Reuters reported. Further complicating matters, ADM disclosed various accounting issues in 2024.

3. Long-term Sustainability Goals: ADM has an expansive sustainability strategy that involves habitat protection, climate, human rights, regenerative agriculture, and more. Among the key target goals:

• 25% absolute reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by 2035 compared to a 2019 baseline.
• 25% absolute reduction in Scope 3 GHG emissions by 2035 compared to a 2021 baseline.

4. Recent Achievements: Milestones from 2023, according to ADM, include:

• Transitioning three oilseeds facilities from coal to natural gas, which is expected to reduce ADM's annual emissions by around 180,000 metric tons of CO2e per year.
• Completing 59 projects that, when combined, will reduce Scope 1 and SCipe 2 emissions by more than 280,000 metric tons of CO2e annually.

5. Who Is ADM's New Chief Sustainability Officer?: Katherine Pickus joined ADM as CSO in January 2025, according to her LinkedIn profile. She previously was VP of sustainability and global impact at Tyson Foods. Earlier, she was VP of global sustainability at Griffith Foods (2019-2021), and divisional VP at healthcare product giant Abbott for roughly 14 years (2004-2018). Pickus succeeded former ADM CSO Alison Taylor, who is now Climate Leader in Residence at Duke University.

6. Executive Perspectives: In a LinkedIn update about the CSO transition, Alison Taylor wrote: "I'm excited to announce Katherine F. Pickus as ADM's new Chief Sustainability Officer! Kathy, with her extensive experience in the sustainability field, is set to lead ADM's sustainability team to new heights.

As I conclude my tenure of nearly 8 years as CSO at ADM, I am grateful for the unwavering support of my ADM colleagues. Together, we have generated innovative ideas, achieved our objectives, effectively communicated our narrative, and championed innovation and transformation in the agricultural industry. Our milestones, from initiatives like Strive35 to collaborations in regenerative agriculture, have been impactful and fulfilling.

ADM holds a distinctive position in the agricultural value chain, capable of driving positive change from farm to table. In my role as a Climate Leader in Residence at Duke University and beyond, I look forward to cheering on Kathy, her team, and the entire ADM community, anticipating remarkable accomplishments ahead!"

Chief Sustainability Officers: Why Technology Partners Should Care

By 2027, 25% of Global 2000 companies will have assigned a chief sustainability officer (CSO) responsible for meeting their organization’s ESG goals and making ESG-related IT purchasing decisions, according to IDC.

The bottom line: Technology partners need to extend their sales, marketing, engagement and support strategies to successfully fulfill those CSO customer needs, Sustainable Tech Partner believes.