Zanna McFerson, Assistant Vice President, Cargill Health and Nutrition

Zanna McFerson, AVP – Business Director, leads the Truvia™ Enterprise, the first global natural High Intensity Sweetener business in Cargill. In this position, Zanna oversees both the ingredient and consumer products business for Truvia™ with resources across research and development , technology, agronomy and supply chain, regulatory affairs, sales, marketing, and branding. The team operates on four continents with commercialization efforts and geographic expansion plans for this new-to-the-world product.  Zanna has been on the business since its conception in 2002. She played a pivotal role in setting and executing the strategy that has resulted in the launch of Truvia™ as an ingredient and tabletop product.  Zanna joined Cargill in 1990 as a commodity trader and has held various roles in sales, management, and new product development. In 1993, she was responsible for Cargill’s commercial entry into Carbon Dioxide. In 1995, she was named National Account Manager in the corn  milling business representing Cargill’s sweeteners to key food and beverage manufacturers.  In 2004, Zanna led the commercial efforts in new sweetener product development being part of bringing Cargill’s novel slowly digestible sweeteners including sucromalt to market.  In 2006, Zanna received two Chairman’s Awards for her contributions to innovation with a national brewing customer and the sucromalt launch. She joined the leadership team of Cargill Health and Nutrition in 2005.  Zanna received a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Iowa.  Zanna sits on the Board of Directors for the International Stevia Council, is a member of the Finnish American Chamber of Commerce, and contributes to the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis.