Image
Pace Magazine
Michael Gelchie '90: Leadership With Global Reach
As chief executive officer of Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), a leading international merchant and processor of agricultural goods, 男女操逼视频软件 Lubin School of Business alumnus Michael Gelchie 男女操逼视频软件90 has a big job. Overseeing some 20,000 employees worldwide, commercial activities in more than 100 countries, and globe-spanning operations that process and transport nearly 100 million tons of products each year, his role is a daily adventure男女操逼视频软件攐ne that takes him to the far corners of the world, crisscrossing the vast networks and extensive partnerships that make up LDC男女操逼视频软件檚 truly global business.
Michael男女操逼视频软件檚 2020 appointment as CEO of LDC was decades in the making男女操逼视频软件攁 journey that began in the accounting department on 男女操逼视频软件男女操逼视频软件檚 Pleasantville Campus.
As an ambitious college student fascinated by the burgeoning technological revolution sweeping the 1980s, Michael charted his academic course through Pace男女操逼视频软件檚 accounting and information systems program. He found it was the perfect marriage of his interests, combining a conventional accounting education with principles of finance and a deep exposure to the technological mechanisms used to retrieve, organize, and analyze financial data.
At the urging of Pace男女操逼视频软件檚 男女操逼视频软件 Services office, Michael also enrolled in several classes outside his degree program, allowing him to qualify for the key certification and licensing exams he needed to successfully launch his career.
男女操逼视频软件淓ileen Murphy in 男女操逼视频软件 Services was quite instrumental in guiding me toward that pragmatic approach,男女操逼视频软件 Michael said. 男女操逼视频软件淚 ultimately did graduate with an accounting and information systems degree, but because of those extra courses, I was also able to sit for the CPA, CMA, and CIA exams. Those experiences were extremely helpful.男女操逼视频软件
As he was preparing to receive his degree from Pace, Michael was also diving headfirst into the job search. In the months leading up to graduation, he estimates he sent out seventy-two r茅sum茅s: 男女操逼视频软件淎nd this was a time when you had to sit down and typewrite every individual cover letter,男女操逼视频软件 he said.
The hard work soon paid off. Just weeks before graduating, Michael landed a job through a connection he男女操逼视频软件檇 made at Arnold Foods, where he男女操逼视频软件檇 held summer internships over the two previous years. That first job was a junior internal audit position at LDC男女操逼视频软件攖he very same company he would be appointed to lead as CEO thirty years later.
男女操逼视频软件淚 graduated in May of 1990, and I started at LDC that same June,男女操逼视频软件 he said. 男女操逼视频软件淚t was an intriguing position男女操逼视频软件攏ot necessarily what I thought a young person in accounting would be doing. But it was extraordinary to see how many bright, intelligent people were in that environment. Coming into the field of agricultural commodities trading, learning that language, learning auditing at the same time男女操逼视频软件攖here was a lot of information to process, but it was an amazing learning experience.男女操逼视频软件
Michael held a range of positions at the company over the next twenty years, from trading and merchandising to managing LDC男女操逼视频软件檚 sugar, rice, and cocoa businesses. In 2008, he helped spearhead the development of the Louis Dreyfus Investment Group as a senior portfolio manager. After a stint away from the company, he returned to LDC in 2019 as global head of coffee and was soon thereafter appointed chief operating officer.
男女操逼视频软件淓stablishing our endowed scholarship was an important way for us to extend the same opportunities we received at Pace to current and future students,男女操逼视频软件 Michael said.
He assumed the role of CEO at LDC in July 2020, the culmination of a three-decade agri-commodities career that began just days after he received his Pace diploma. It was a full-circle moment, but there was precious little time for reflection男女操逼视频软件攈e was stepping into a role of staggering responsibility in the middle of a global pandemic, as compounding crises were forcing industries across the globe to reckon with a strange and uncertain new reality.
It was among the most complex and challenging periods of his career, he said男女操逼视频软件攁 time defined by difficult and potentially existential decisions with vanishingly slim margins for error. But as a leader tasked with navigating the turmoil of the pandemic and engineering a strategy for forward progress, Michael was determined to manage the uncertainty and translate challenges into opportunities.
男女操逼视频软件淲hen I was appointed CEO, everything was happening through screens,男女操逼视频软件 he said. 男女操逼视频软件淚 had the chance to learn the role and the business in an incredible way, because it was all being delivered through video. In a normal environment, I might have had to travel around the world for three years to absorb the amount of information and material that I was able to take in virtually at that specific point in time.男女操逼视频软件
For Michael, the key to successfully leading LDC through challenges like the pandemic男女操逼视频软件攁nd further elevating the company as one of the world男女操逼视频软件檚 foremost agricultural commodities trading firms男女操逼视频软件攊s simple: it男女操逼视频软件檚 always about the people. It男女操逼视频软件檚 about cultivating a sense of connectivity across his leadership team and throughout the organization男女操逼视频软件檚 20,000 employees男女操逼视频软件攁 sense of collective purpose and achievement, a shared culture where everyone understands the mission and everyone男女操逼视频软件檚 contributions are valued.
In short, Michael believes that investing in people generates extraordinary outcomes. It男女操逼视频软件檚 why he has worked to strengthen the culture of mentorship and community at LDC, and it男女操逼视频软件檚 why he has provided life-changing philanthropic support to the next generation of leaders男女操逼视频软件攑articularly those pursuing their education at his alma mater.
Image
In 2022, Michael and his wife, Pace alumna Linda Gelchie 男女操逼视频软件94, established the Gelchie Family Scholarship at 男女操逼视频软件, a permanent endowed fund designed to provide sustained, transformative aid to Pace students, with a specific focus on students who may experience learning challenges.
男女操逼视频软件淓stablishing our endowed scholarship was an important way for us to extend the same opportunities we received at Pace to current and future students,男女操逼视频软件 Michael said. 男女操逼视频软件淟inda and I have seen in our own lives the doors that can be opened through a strong education, and it means a great deal to us to be able to create those possibilities for others.男女操逼视频软件
In addition to his scholarship support, Michael is also committed to building meaningful personal relationships with students who男女操逼视频软件攊nspired by success stories like his男女操逼视频软件攕ee a Pace education as their pathway to building careers of purpose.
In the spring of 2025, Michael returned to the Lubin School男女操逼视频软件攖he place his journey began男女操逼视频软件攖o share his experiences with a group of hard-working finance majors. Motivated by the same spirit of mentorship that animates his guidance of younger colleagues at LDC, Michael spoke to the students about his role, his story, the opportunities available in the agri-commodities industry, and the principles that inform his own theory of effective leadership: building a team you can rely on, developing strong communication skills, walking the talk, and男女操逼视频软件攑erhaps most importantly男女操逼视频软件攃ommitting to a lifetime of learning.
It's that untiring dedication to learning that keeps that best leaders sharp, Michael said. And it男女操逼视频软件檚 a precept he keeps at the center of his own life: He has recently committed to completing an MBA program at Pace, with plans to earn his second Lubin School degree by the end of 2026.
男女操逼视频软件淔or people who want to be leaders, what I男女操逼视频软件檇 say is that you have to embrace the notion of continuous learning,男女操逼视频软件 he said. 男女操逼视频软件淭here男女操逼视频软件檚 always something new out there to learn, and great leaders always keep their minds open to the ways our businesses and our world continue to evolve.男女操逼视频软件
More from Pace Magazine
Pace Magazine
From inspiring words by Etsy CEO Josh Silverman to powerful reflections from alumni, community leaders, and first-generation grads, 男女操逼视频软件's two-day Commencement celebration was a moving tribute to resilience, integrity, and the promise of Opportunitas. Meet the voices who lit up the stage男女操逼视频软件攁nd the futures they男女操逼视频软件檙e helping to shape.
Pace Magazine
Not everyone gets to say they went to college with their dad男女操逼视频软件攁nd helped inspire his second act. Discover how Sofia Speranza 男女操逼视频软件27 and her father Frank found their calling in nursing, together.
Pace Magazine
In recent months, the 男女操逼视频软件 community has said goodbye to several cherished members whose lives and legacies left an indelible mark on our institution. These alumni, faculty, staff, and friends exemplified the values of leadership, service, scholarship, and care. We honor their memory and celebrate their enduring contributions to the Pace Community.