Partner Biographies

Chuck Warta is the president for Cargill Premix & Nutrition (CPN), one of Cargill’s fastest growing businesses, globally. In his current role, he is responsible for serving customers in more than 100 markets, leading more than 7,000 employees across 26 countries. Through Chuck’s innovative leadership, CPN is helping drive Cargill’s success and leadership in bringing innovation and digitalization to animal agriculture and enhancing animal health and well-being. 

Chuck has more than 25 years of global experience in animal agriculture, including both production and health and nutrition. He has extensive experience living and leading businesses in China, Korea and Thailand. During his tenure in China, Chuck created Cargill’s first Cargill Cares Council, an employee-driven corporate social responsibility program, which has grown to more than 32 Cargill Cares Councils across the country.

Chuck served on Cargill’s animal nutrition business leadership team for nearly seven years before becoming business leader for Cargill Meats Thailand (CMT) in August 2013, leading a fully integrated, 140 million birds/year poultry operation with 13,000 employees. In 2016, Chuck returned to Cargill’s animal nutrition business as the president of CPN.

In addition, Chuck has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee with IFIF (International Feed Industry Federation) for the past three years; was named a K-State Ag Alumni Fellow in 2018; and is the Executive Lead for the Cargill/Kansas State University Higher Ed team.

He holds a bachelor’s of science in agriculture economics from Kansas State University, and is based in Minneapolis, Minn.

Pierre Ferrari was born in the Belgian Congo (today the Democratic Republic of Congo). Ferrari received a master’s degree in economics from The University of Cambridge and a Master's of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He joined Heifer with more than 40 years of business experience at companies like Coca-Cola USA, CARE and the Small Enterprise Assistance Fund. He sits on the Board of SEAF, Global Impact and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.