Michael Lu will succeed Clover Chang as the director of the U.S. Grain Council office in Taiwan. He will take on the role as of Aug. 6. Chang’s retirement is effective Aug. 10.

Chang has worked for the Council for 34 years, and his achievements will be honored by members and his colleagues at the organization’s 58th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting scheduled for late this month.

“It has been an honor to work with Clover over so many years, and we’ve relied heavily on his understanding of the unique political, economic and trade factors that affect the Taiwanese market,” said USGC Chairman Deb Keller.

“We at the Council are most appreciative of Clover’s service. It is bittersweet to lose someone of Clover’s magnitude because he has been a key part of our outreach. His innate understanding of the market in Taiwan has attributed to his ability to handle the U.S. coarse grain industry with both grace and diplomacy.”

Based in Taipei, Chang has been responsible for identifying and addressing trade, technical and policy factors relevant to building and maintaining the market for U.S. coarse grains and related products in Taiwan. 

Prior to the Council, Chang – who holds a master’s degree in animal science – worked for the Cyanamid Taiwan Corporation, starting as a sales representative and was promoted to a product manager in 1981. He also previously worked for the Taiwan government’s Livestock Research Institute.

Lu, who comes to the Council from Cargill Taiwan, will carry on Chang’s critical work in the region.

“We are very excited to have Michael join our Asia regional team and follow Clover to further build upon our market presence and strong commitment to our loyal customers in Taiwan,” said USGC President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Sleight. 

Lu brings 25 years of experience in agri-food industries, trading and sales and marketing.

Prior to joining the Council, Lu worked for Cargill in Taiwan as the assistant general manager in charge of grains, oilseeds, oils and non-grain feed ingredients business, working with products originated around the world.

Lu has strong relationships and connections with government agencies and grain end-users in Taiwan, including animal feed producers, poultry and hog producers, crushing plants and oil refiners, flour milling and corn milling plants and local traders supplying agri-food ingredients for local markets.

He earned a bachelor's degree in animal sciences from National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan.

Taiwan was the fifth largest market for U.S. corn in the 2016/2017 marketing year, purchasing nearly 3 million metric tons at a value of $511 million dollars. It is also the fourth largest market for U.S. barley exports. The Council has maintained an office in Taiwan since 1973.

Source: U.S. Grains Council