Farmer-owned cooperative Landus has named Eric Heismeyer as the organization’s next CEO, effective today. In June, Landus announced it was launching a nationwide search for its next leader after former CEO Matt Carstens stepped down in April. Sam Caton has served in an interim CEO role since then.

Heismeyer most recently spent a year as an agri-food value chain consultant, after working for 12 years at global agribusiness and food company Bunge in executive roles. Before that, he was at POET Nutrition as director of sales and merchandising, and Archer Daniels Midland for almost 11 years. Those roles involved operations, commercial strategy and global supply chains.

Heismeyer’s early focus will be on aligning the organization with its new operating plan and collaborating closely with the core team and board.

“I’m honored to step into this role and eager to lead the team at Landus,” Heismeyer said in a press release. “The board and leadership team have developed a focused, actionable plan to launch into our 2026 fiscal year, and I’m excited to stand shoulder to shoulder with them to drive results that matter for our farmer-owners and communities.”

According to the release, the 2026 operating plan aims to align people, processes and performance around five strategic goals: serving farmer-owners, empowering employees, executing operational rigor, implementing financial discipline and driving long-term growth.

“Eric is not joining Landus to reset the course, but to accelerate the progress already underway,” Landus Board Chair Tim Kolder said in the release. “His experience leading complex agricultural businesses and building cultures of accountability makes him the right leader at the right time for Landus. We’re excited for what’s ahead.”