MINNEAPOLIS — Joanne Knight has been named acting chief financial officer of Cargill. She will fill the role of Jamie Miller, who will step down on Jan. 13 to take an opportunity outside of Cargill, the company said.

“We are grateful for Jamie’s service to Cargill,” said Brian Sikes, president and chief executive officer of Cargill. “Over the last few years, we have further strengthened our business model, expanded our business portfolio, and are well-positioned for long-term success.

“Joanne is highly regarded by the board and executive team for her strong track record of leadership and operating results and is well-equipped to take the role of acting CFO. She will step into the role from a position of strength as a seasoned finance leader who has built her career on delivering results through dynamic market cycles. Together, we will grow with customers, strengthen our core and thoughtfully target new markets to ensure we are a reliable, sustainable partner for our customers — today and in the future.”

Ms. Knight currently is vice president of finance for Cargill’s Agriculture Supply Chain enterprise, which includes Ocean Transportation and the World Trading Group. Before Cargill, Ms. Knight spent 10 years in finance, marketing, and business leadership roles at General Mills, Inc. that included P&L responsibility, as well as roles in supply chain finance, sales finance, and financial planning and analysis. She also held finance leadership roles at Wachovia.