Cargill Philanthropies

Background

The Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies supports global initiatives focused on food security, nutrition, and community resilience. During a period of leadership transition, the organization’s legal function needed to be rebuilt quickly to support its ongoing work.

Elizabeth Borer had recently stepped into the role of General Counsel after her predecessor, Heather Kukla, was promoted to President of the organization. At the same time, two members of the legal team departed for other opportunities, leaving the legal department with one attorney, a legal administrator, and an executive assistant.

To restore legal capacity and support the foundation’s work, John and Snyder was retained to recruit two key roles: Associate General Counsel (Philanthropy) and Senior Counsel (Employment).

Our Strategy

The organization needed lawyers who could step immediately into a small, collaborative legal team while supporting a sophisticated philanthropic enterprise.

For the Associate General Counsel role, we focused on candidates with deep experience advising tax-exempt organizations and grantmaking private foundations. The successful lawyer would need to provide guidance on nonprofit governance and regulatory matters while serving as a trusted advisor to leadership.

For the employment counsel role, we targeted lawyers with strong employment law expertise who could support the organization’s HR leadership and navigate the culture of a mission-driven institution.

Both roles required candidates willing to relocate to the Minneapolis area, where the organization is headquartered in Eden Prairie.

Our Shared Success

The Associate General Counsel search resulted in the recruitment of Colin Ballou, who joined the organization after more than eight years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Charities Division of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, where he oversaw charitable and nonprofit organizations.

John and Snyder also recruited Andrea Mallarino as Senior Counsel, joining the organization from the law firm Dorsey & Whitney, where she was a member of the firm’s Labor & Employment practice.

Together, these hires enabled the General Counsel to rebuild the legal team and strengthen the organization’s legal support for its philanthropic work.

Beyond the Search

Our work with the organization extended beyond recruitment. As the new lawyers joined the team, John and Snyder facilitated culture-building sessions to support their integration and the development of the newly rebuilt legal department.

We have since continued to support members of the legal team through coaching and leadership development, reflecting a trusted, ongoing partnership with the organization’s legal leadership.