Steve Bakken is the Associate Vice President, Business HR: Life Sciences Market Group at Agilent Technologies. Previously, he was the Global HR Leader for R&D, Innovation, and Health & Nutrition Growth Businesses at Cargill Inc.  He has had a highly global and diverse set of work experiences during his career, including recruiting, operational HR with production facilities, strategic HR positions within global leadership teams and time as an expatriate with Cargill in Belgium. Since 2015 he has worked directly within the science and innovation space supporting R&D, Innovation, Food Safety and Strategic Growth Businesses.  His time spent focusing on innovation and strategic growth businesses unlocked his passion for people and career development among innovators, positioning him as a thought leader in this space.  Steve has led multiple initiatives focused on developing innovation talent and transforming culture, resulting in the advancement of the “innovation brand” at Cargill. In his current role he serves as the primary architect of people and culture strategies, partnering with Cargill’s Chief Technology Officer, global R&D leadership team and other growth business leadership teams. Outside of work Steve serves on the board of 4Access Partners, a nonprofit in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area that helps women owned and BIPOC food innovators and entrepreneurs gain access to expertise, training, capital and scale.  Steve has his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Minnesota in Duluth and lives in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area with his wife, son and daughter. He enjoys travel, cross country skiing, running, cycling and a wide range of food and cultures.