Blue Ocean Global Technology Interviews Cordell Hardy | Vice President of Core R&D at Cargill

Cordell Hardy is the Vice President of Core R&D at Cargill, serving in this role since January 2024 after spending 20 years in various R&D roles at 3M. With extensive experience managing technical organizations across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, he and his teams have impacted a broadly diverse range including food ingredients, animal feed, automotive & aviation biofuel, industrial & consumer adhesives, coatings, electronic components, specialty polymers, and EPA-regulated antimicrobial formulations. His distinctive blend of skillful management, technical breadth, and business acumen allows him to effectively engage customers and foster key account relationships, ensuring his R&D teams deliver impactful outcomes. Outside of work, Cordell is dedicated to volunteering and contributing to social equity initiatives, guided by principles of faith and community interdependence.

Blue Ocean: Can you share your professional journey and key moments that shaped your career across diverse sectors and regions?

Cordell: Just to give some background, I’m a Philadelphia native, and neither of my parents had a technical background. My father worked in banking, and my mother was an educator. They didn’t steer me toward a corporate research and development career, but I credit my mom for deliberately creating environments that fostered problem-solving skills. She introduced me to reading early on, and that cognitive environment had a formative influence on me.

As I got older, I gravitated toward chemical engineering because I enjoyed chemistry and math in high school. Chemical engineering was a natural way to combine both, and at the time, it was a popular major for good career prospects. I attended Florida A&M and interned at 3M, a company I hadn’t heard of before. That internship introduced me to industrial R&D, specifically working on adhesives used in traffic signs.

3M customer innovation center in Sumare’, Brazil, near Sao Paulo.

Most people don’t think about the technology behind road signs, but they need to be visible day and night. The adhesive plays a crucial role in ensuring the signs meet safety standards for retro-reflectivity, which ensures headlights are reflected to the driver’s eyes at night. During that internship, it hit me that a discovery in the lab could improve safety for billions of people around the world. That realization sparked my interest in leveraging science and technology to make a meaningful impact.

I decided to pursue a PhD to deepen my understanding and then returned to work at 3M, where I started as a researcher and moved into supervisory roles. 3M operates across diverse markets. The company’s strength lies in using common technologies and systems to drive innovation globally. As I took on management roles, I oversaw teams in different areas, which required me to learn quickly, stay inquisitive, and think systematically about innovation and commercialization. Those experiences have shaped my career.

Blue Ocean: What inspired you to explore such diverse product areas, from personal safety to specialty polymers, and how did your passion for R&D shape your path?

Cordell: Cargill is, first and foremost, a leader in the agricultural supply chain, food production, and logistics management. It plays a significant role in managing commodities and supply chains, and providing ingredients for food consumed worldwide. It’s estimated that about 25% of the world’s food is touched by Cargill daily, making it a hugely consequential company. As Vice President of a centralized R&D team, I oversee one of the two large organizations within Cargill’s hub-and-spoke R&D model. Some teams focus on company-wide science and technical capabilities, while others are dedicated to specific product lines.

My team focuses on deep science, primarily in materials and the physical space, while another group handles pilot and engineering capabilities, along with data science and analytics. We work across areas such as material science, microbiology, fermentation, ingredient chemistry, regulatory compliance, and scientific advocacy, where we interact with trade associations and governing bodies globally.

With our team in China visiting an automotive manufacturer and customer

This role differs from my previous one at 3M, where we weren’t concerned with food regulations or nutrition science. At Cargill, we’re thinking about how our products relate to sustainability, water, and land usage, and how to nourish a growing population with decreasing resources. Solving these technical challenges in a sustainable way is where our group comes in.

The common thread for me between these companies is the societal impact I can make through technical leadership within a for-profit enterprise. At 3M, we focused on safety, commerce, productivity, and sustainability in manufacturing. At Cargill, we’re working to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way, driving innovation through scientific principles.

Blue Ocean: How do you manage customer relationships and what strategies have helped you maintain strong partnerships while ensuring R&D teams meet goals?

Cordell: A lot of it comes down to treating people how you want to be treated. Your business is dependent on your customers, so they should feel that you’re attentive and thinking about their needs proactively. From an organizational perspective, and as a leader, it’s essential to focus on creating value for both the customer and your company. A true partnership is about finding a win-win—it’s not sustainable if the customer wins but your business suffers, or vice versa.

Customers will often come to us—whether at Cargill now, or 3M in the past—and ask for things they want us to do, but those requests may not always align with our capabilities or business goals. It’s important to filter these requests, ensuring that the solution benefits both parties. If you simply agree to everything the customer asks without considering whether it works for your business, you may erode your business model. That’s why sustainable relationships require empathy and a mindset focused on mutual success.

Beyond the basics, there’s also a technical sophistication involved. It’s about anticipating needs, much like Henry Ford’s famous quote: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.” The key is to identify the underlying job and think about how that translates into value proposition design and business model innovation. As an R&D leader, I bring that technical insight into the conversation—understanding our company’s capabilities, the competitive landscape, patents, and freedom to operate.

Cargill sent a delegation to the Executive Leadership Council Gala in early October, 2024, as part of its ongoing support of scholarship funding and diverse talent development

I also ensure that everyone on my team who interacts with customers is equipped to deliver at the highest level. Part of my job as a leader is to assess character, technical acumen, and capabilities, to maintain the standard of excellence. Ultimately, it’s about creating value for both the customer and the business.

Blue Ocean: What current trends in R&D excite you the most?

Cordell: It may sound cliché because it’s so often repeated, but the acceleration of our collective human capability to solve problems and reinvent workflows through computation is incredible. The things we can do today were unimaginable five years ago, and what we’ll be able to do five years from now will be even more remarkable. This trend of computational empowerment is truly exciting.

Take coding, for example—it’s almost been turned on its head. For technical folks who used to rely on Python or other languages to handle data, today you can ask ChatGPT to write the code for you. The skillset is shifting from writing the code yourself to effectively specifying the query to get the desired outcome. Yes, you still need to tweak the code and check for errors, but the days of building everything from scratch are fading. Now, it’s about using modules and intelligent queries to get the job done more efficiently.

Another exciting trend is in intellectual property. Today, you can not only search for existing patents, but you can have an engine analyze the landscape and suggest areas for new filings based on your strengths and what’s still available. While AI can’t be an inventor (at least not in the U.S.), it’s already transforming how we approach the patenting process, helping us identify claims and streamline the invention process.

AI also helps in understanding customer needs more deeply. You can use AI engines to profile customers and then articulate solutions from your existing product portfolio that best meet their needs, even discovering new applications for products that haven’t been considered before. This kind of customer-centric innovation is becoming much more achievable with AI tools.

Another trend I’m excited about is sustainability, particularly in the food industry. At Cargill, we’re thinking about how to feed the world with new supply chains and more efficient ways of producing. For example, as the demand for protein grows, producing animal protein requires significant land and water, and generates carbon emissions. We’re exploring alternative ways to meet that demand sustainably, just as we are with sugars. People crave sweetness, but excess sugar intake has negative health effects. We’re working on ways to reduce the caloric intensity of sugars while producing them more sustainably.

We’re also paying close attention to trends like the rise of GLP-1 drugs and how they’re affecting people’s eating habits, particularly in reducing caloric intake. These are the kinds of challenges we’re tackling at Cargill.

Blue Ocean: How do you continue to stay ahead in such dynamic sectors, and what practices have helped you drive business growth through R&D?

Cordell: Both companies I’ve worked for have operated in highly competitive environments. To remain competitive, several strategies must be implemented at both the executive level and throughout the teams. Key elements include a robust capital allocation strategy and effective talent management, which are essential for long-term success.

However, I want to focus on the aspects within my sphere of influence as an innovation and science leader in organizations with a science-based business model. One of the critical ways we stay competitive is by adopting a holistic approach to an end-to-end innovation framework. Innovation is inherently a longer-term process; the ideas that feed our pipeline typically take longer to develop than the quarterly or yearly timeframes that businesses often manage.

As leaders in science and innovation, we must create a business-friendly perspective on pipeline prospects and investment opportunities that spans a longer time horizon. This allows us to respond effectively to competitive pressures. When faced with challenges, we need a solid investment thesis to compare the benefits of investing in innovation against more immediate options, such as boosting quarterly volume through advertising or cost reductions in production.

It’s essential to make a compelling case for innovation investments, especially when competing for budget allocations against more short-term initiatives. I see it as a core responsibility of an innovation leader to ensure that I present strong arguments for why investing in innovation is not just viable but necessary for long-term business strength.

I report to the Chief Technology Officer, who communicates this vision to the board. My role includes equipping him with the data and rationale to support our innovation investments, so he can confidently advocate for the potential returns on investment we expect to achieve in the future.

Blue Ocean: What key lessons have you learned from leading technical organizations in different parts of the world, and how have they influenced your approach to the innovation management sector?

Cordell: One key lesson is the need to maintain a strong focus on value creation. As R&D professionals, we have the unique privilege of satisfying human curiosity through our work, which can lead to potential discoveries. However, not all interesting technical results translate into value for the organization.

As a leader, my role is to guide my team towards outcomes that create value. It’s important to assess the financial benefits of our team’s contributions over time. This doesn’t mean we need to measure success daily or expect immediate monetary returns from our efforts, but it is fair to ask how our work contributes to the company’s overall success.

Watching Brazil notch a win on-site with our team in Sumare’

I strive to ensure that our team and cross-functional colleagues remain focused on value creation within customer relationships, scientific discovery, and patent development. This approach might sound obvious, but it’s easy to become distracted if we don’t consistently ask ourselves how our work contributes to value. A crucial part of my role is providing the mental frameworks, tools, and business acumen necessary to differentiate valuable creative activities from those that are less impactful.

Another vital lesson is the importance of maintaining professional integrity and principles. Credibility as a leader is foundational to achieving any success. For a team to thrive, its members must feel valued, engaged, and prioritized over mere deliverables. Recognizing their aspirations and interests helps build trust and fosters a positive environment.

As a leader, I don’t directly engage in every project. Instead, my focus is on creating an environment conducive to innovation, ensuring the right systems and governance are in place. This supportive structure allows the organization to function effectively and influence the broader company positively.

Blue Ocean: How would you advise your younger self or someone aspiring to have a career like yours?

Cordell: First, focus on the role you have in the present moment. Many people reach out to me asking how to get promoted or how to chart their career paths to achieve specific future roles. While these questions reflect a proactive mindset, they often overlook the significance of personal impact in your current position.

In my experience, the next opportunities often arise from the role you’re currently in. I’ve worked in large organizations where visibility and control over opportunities lie with higher management, such as the CEO and the board. Instead of trying to force career moves or proactively applying for jobs, I’ve found that it’s more effective to let your current performance speak for itself. When leaders see your contributions and influence, they are more likely to consider you for roles that may not even be publicly advertised.

This brings me to a crucial concept: sponsorship versus career planning. Over the years, I’ve learned that having advocates within the organization who actively support and promote your career can be far more beneficial than simply plotting out a career trajectory. Flexibility and openness to unexpected opportunities are essential, as I’ve often found myself in positions I couldn’t have anticipated.

Additionally, engaging on professional social media platforms like LinkedIn can be invaluable. Participating in external events and sharing your enthusiasm helps build a community and expand your network. I’ve personally benefited from this approach, which has led to valuable connections, including the opportunity for discussions like this one.

Blue Ocean: What is something you’re grateful for in your personal or professional life?

Cordell: First, I am grateful for my wife Amelia whom I have been fortunate and blessed to be married to for 21 years. I am very thankful for the role she’s played in my life; she has helped me become a better man. Together, we have four wonderful children, who are a big driving force behind my aspirations and what I do.

One of my favorite family photos taken a few years ago. Amelia and I have four children

Beyond my family, I appreciate the broader community that surrounds me, both personally and professionally. This community adds a lot of depth to my life. I also want to acknowledge the sponsorship I’ve received throughout my career. I have benefited immensely from the support of incredible colleagues worldwide.

I recognize how a kid from Philadelphia, who didn’t travel much growing up, has been exposed to so many different cultures and perspectives. This transformation has reshaped my worldview and allowed me to appreciate the collective impact our work has had on hundreds of millions of people globally. It’s truly gratifying to look back and see how even small contributions can touch lives in meaningful ways.

Blue Ocean: What passions do you pursue outside work?

Cordell: Outside of my work at Cargill, I’m passionate about volunteering with various community service organizations, focusing on food distribution, childhood education, and family services. Social equity movements, particularly in the Twin Cities and more broadly across the state and country, are significant to my family and me. We actively contribute to organizations that promote greater participation in economic opportunities and address pressing disparities in quality of life.

I also enjoy exercising, even though I wouldn’t consider myself an athlete. I like cooking and playing chess on my phone. I have an ongoing game with a college friend; he’s better than I am, but we always have fun.

Playing Basketball at a Rec Center with son

Blue Ocean: Is there a quote or philosophy that resonates with you?

Cordell: Several principles guide me, especially the iceberg model often used in diversity, equity, and inclusion training. It highlights that while people may notice visible traits like gender or ethnicity, there’s much more beneath the surface, such as family background, belief systems, and financial status, which significantly influence our decisions and actions. For me, spirituality is a key aspect of this underlying ‘iceberg’. As a Christian, I embrace the diversity within Cargill and the broader world while drawing strength from my faith in God.

A quote that resonates with me is the African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.” Throughout my career, I’ve benefited from this mindset. All significant achievements I’ve experienced have been within a team context. While I may contribute and take initiative, I recognize that my successes are not solitary efforts; they result from collaboration and interdependence.

Conclusion

Cordell Hardy’s journey as Vice President of Core R&D at Cargill illustrates a dynamic blend of technical leadership, innovation, and a commitment to creating meaningful societal impact. With a career that spans diverse regions and sectors, he has consistently focused on leveraging science to address real-world challenges, whether in material science at 3M or sustainable food production at Cargill. His leadership philosophy emphasizes value creation, integrity, and team collaboration, guided by a deep sense of purpose and community. Hardy’s dedication extends beyond his professional work to social equity initiatives, reflecting his holistic approach to driving positive change.