EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, April 4, 2023 — Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) is pleased to announce recent promotions and expanded roles and responsibilities in key leadership positions at the organization.
Elizabeth (Liz) Borer has been promoted to General Counsel and Secretary of the Boards. Liz joined MACP in 2013 and most recently served as Associate General Counsel. She brings a deep familiarity with the sector and a talent for building strong working relationships and bridging differences to the General Counsel role. Before joining MACP, Liz practiced law at Best & Flanagan LLP in Minneapolis where she partnered with clients on employment law, governance, and litigation matters. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in history and global studies. Liz received her juris doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School. She was a lead editor for the Minnesota Law Review and clerked for the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
Ted Chen has been promoted to Vice President, Equity, Culture, and Learning. Ted joined MACP in 2012 and most recently served as Director, Evaluation and Organizational Learning. He has demonstrated his ability to help embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice into organizational values, both in his time at MACP and in prior roles. Ted’s previous experience includes serving as Director of Learning and Innovation at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Executive Director at the Big Idea Foundation, and Program Officer at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wheaton College in Illinois, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan, and a master’s of business administration from Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.
Kim Christianson has been promoted to Vice President, Human Resources and Administration. Kim joined MACP in 2013 and most recently served as Director, Human Resources and Administration. She brings a strong strategic and operational lens to this expanded role, where she will lead implementation of MACP’s Talent Development work. Prior to the Philanthropies, Kim was with Ecolab, including five years as Human Resources Vice President, Global Healthcare Sector, where she led a global team with expertise in equity and inclusion, talent acquisition and development, employee relations, compensation, change management, and leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and a master’s of business administration with a concentration in human resources from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Amber Rudell has been promoted to Vice President, Strategic Planning. Amber joined MACP in 2013 and most recently served as Director, Strategic Planning and Project Management. In this new role, her responsibilities are expanding to include leadership of board planning operations, which builds on her current work with MACP’s boards on strategic learning and program strategy review. Prior to MACP, Amber was a consultant with Bridgespan Group in San Francisco, where she advised nonprofit organizations and foundations. She began her career with Goldman Sachs as a Financial Analyst in the High Technology investment banking group. Amber received her Bachelor of Science in computer science from Stanford University.
Heather Kukla, who moved into her new role as President at MACP on April 1 following Paul Busch’s retirement, commented, “These talented leaders step into roles that reflect important priorities in support of our staff, our values, and the important work of our grantee partners.”
ABOUT MARGARET A. CARGILL PHILANTHROPIES
Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) is the umbrella over the grantmaking foundations funded by the late Margaret Cargill: Margaret A. Cargill Foundation and Anne Ray Foundation. In keeping with Ms. Cargill’s direction, MACP provides meaningful support through long-term relationships with strategic grantee partners to make a meaningful, measurable, sustainable difference on priority problems in seven domains: Animal Welfare, Arts & Cultures, Disaster Relief & Recovery, Environment, Legacy & Opportunity, Quality of Life, and Teachers & Students. The collective assets of MACP place it among the largest philanthropies in the United States.
###
