Robbin Johnson

Biography

Robbin Johnson retired from Cargill effective January 1, 2007.  He now is President of the Cargill Foundation and Senior Adviser, Global Policy Studies, at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. 

Johnson joined Cargill in 1971. He was named an assistant vice president in 1976, vice president, Administrative Division, in 1982 and was elected Corporate Vice President, Public Affairs, in 1993. In June 2000 he was elected Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, in which role he worked with Cargill’s senior leadership team on public policy and communications strategies and served on the Corporate Center and the Corporate Affairs Committee.

Johnson graduated from Yale University in 1968 with a bachelor's degree, did graduate study as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University in England from 1968 to 1970 and attended Yale Law School from 1970 to 1971.

Johnson currently serves on the board and executive committee of the International Policy Council on Food, Agriculture and Trade and on the boards of the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation and Second Harvest Heartland.  He is a past chair of the U.S. Feed Grains Council and the Canada-Minnesota Business Council.  Johnson also is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.