CHICAGO – ADM announced that Vikram Luthar has been named chief financial officer, following a thorough succession planning and candidate review process.

Luthar succeeds Ray G. Young, who has been CFO since 2010 and was the company’s vice chairman since February.

“Vikram has a deep understanding of ADM’s business, having served in leadership roles throughout our finance organization and in key growth areas such as nutrition and health and wellness,” said Juan Luciano, chairman and chief executive officer of ADM. “He has a strong drive for results balanced with strategic orientation and has consistently raised the bar for his team and the organization as a whole. He is an ideal executive to lead ADM into our next phase of growth.”

Luthar joined ADM in 2004 as vice president and treasurer and has since served in a variety of senior-level positions. The company said his leadership in both strategy and investor relations have been instrumental in setting the current strategic trajectory for ADM, and his management as president of ADM’s Health & Wellness and Bioactives businesses helped launch and accelerate long-term platforms tied to critical consumer trends.

As CFO for Nutrition, Luthar also has led with financial agility across ADM’s fastest-growing business unit, the company said.

Prior to working at ADM, Luthar spent nearly a decade with General Motors in treasury and regional finance leadership positions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

The appointment is effective immediately. The company said Young will support Luthar during the transition and then turn his focus to providing strategic counsel on major initiatives critical to ADM’s future success in his role as vice chairman.