WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Michael Goettl has been named chief executive officer of Bunge Asia, effective Jan. 1, 2014. Mr. Goettl, currently chief operating officer for Bunge Asia, succeeds Christopher White, who, after leading Bunge’s Asian operations for 10 years, will remain with Bunge as a senior adviser managing strategic initiatives for the company.

“Mike is the ideal leader for the next era of Bunge’s growth in Asia,” said Soren Schroder, c.e.o. of Bunge Ltd. “His long experience in the region gives him deep understanding of the markets and a great appreciation for what is important to our customers. Mike is also an outstanding operator, with a track record of delivering results in existing businesses and creating value from new investments.”

Mr. Goettl joined Bunge in 2005.  Prior to being named c.o.o. of Bunge Asia, he held a number of management roles, including agribusiness director, Asia, co-managing director, China, and business development director, Asia. Before joining Bunge, he was president of China Food & Agricultural Services and vice-president of Asia/Latin American marketing at Louis Dreyfus.

He received a bachelor’s degree in international studies at the University of St. Thomas-Minnesota and a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Minnesota.