# James Zallie

> James P. (Jim) Zallie is chairman, president and CEO of Ingredion Incorporated. A Penn State and Rutgers-trained food scientist, he spent more than 27 years at National Starch before its 2010 acquisition brought him to Ingredion. His career connects technical development, international operations and customer formulation, including the creation of Ingredion Idea Labs and the company’s focus on food texture.

- **Role:** Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at Ingredion Incorporated
- **Organizations:** Ingredion Incorporated, National Starch LLC, Sylvamo Corporation, The Executives’ Club of Chicago, The Economic Club of Chicago
- **Education:** B.S. in Food Science, Pennsylvania State University, M.S. in Food Science, Rutgers University, MBA in Finance, Rutgers Graduate School of Management
- **Known for:** Architect of Ingredion Idea Labs, a global customer-collaboration and innovation network., Helped develop the Novation line of functional native starches during his research career., Led National Starch before its acquisition by Corn Products International.

## Career timeline

- **1983** — Graduated from Penn State and began his career at National Starch.
- **2004** — Received the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Outstanding Alumni award.
- **2007** — Became president and CEO of National Starch in January.
- **2010** — Joined Corn Products International following its October acquisition of National Starch; became EVP and president of global ingredient solutions.
- **2012** — Became EVP, global specialties and president, EMEA and Asia-Pacific.
- **2014** — Became EVP, global specialties and president, North America and EMEA.
- **2016** — Became EVP, global specialties and president of the Americas.
- **2017** — Joined the Ingredion board in September; named successor to Ilene Gordon.
- **2018** — Became Ingredion president and CEO on January 1.
- **2025** — Board waived mandatory CEO retirement policy, allowing continued service beyond April 2026.
- **2026** — Appointed Ingredion chairman on February 9; led the announced offer for Tate & Lyle.

## Achievements

- Architect of Ingredion Idea Labs, a global customer-collaboration and innovation network.
- Helped develop the Novation line of functional native starches during his research career.
- Led National Starch before its acquisition by Corn Products International.
- Led integration of acquisitions including Kerr Concentrates, Penford, PureCircle, TIC Gums, Verdient Foods and Western Polymer.
- Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Outstanding Alumni honoree, 2004.
- Pledged $100,000 with Helen Zallie to support Penn State sensory-science research over five years.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Diego Reynoso’s appointment as CFO took effect October 1; he reports to Zallie.
- **2026-07** — Tate & Lyle shareholders accepted Ingredion’s recommended all-cash offer; closing remains conditional.
- **2026-06** — Ingredion agreed terms for the proposed Tate & Lyle acquisition. Its second-quarter filing anticipated closing in the second half of 2027.
- **2026-02** — Appointed chairman on February 9, in addition to president and CEO.

## Links

- Website: https://www.ingredion.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-jim-zallie-3305547

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/james-zallie
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21