Towne, who joined ADM in 1997, previously served as chairman of the Management Board of Alfred C. Toepfer International G.m.b.H. (ACTI).

Lastra, who joined ADM in 1994, was previously vice president, Business Growth for ADM, and also previously served as president, ADM South America.

Both appointments are effective November 5, 2012.

For more than a century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) have transformed crops into products that serve vital needs. Today, 30,000 ADM employees around the globe convert oilseeds, corn, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, industrial and energy uses. With more than 270 processing plants, 420 crop procurement facilities, and the world's premier crop transportation network, ADM helps connect the harvest to the home in more than 160 countries.

Founded in 1919, Alfred C. Toepfer International G.m.b.H. (ACTI) is a global merchandising company. ACTI is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, with 36 branch offices around the world. More than 2,000 employees trade more than 42 million tonnes of commodities annually. Archer Daniels Midland Company originally invested in ACTI in 1983, and today owns 80% of the company, with the remaining 20% owned by French farming cooperative Union InVivo.