Mr Thompson was a executive vice president Commercial for The Mosaic Company from 2004 to 2007, one of the world's fertiliser companies, which is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Prior, Mr Thompson had a 30 year career in the steel industry from 1974 to 2004, serving in roles at Cargill, Inc, to the position of President of Cargill Steel Group from 1996 - 2004. During that period, Mr Thompson also served for a time as Co-Chairman of the North Star BlueScope Steel joint venture, and was a Member of industry boards, including AISI (American Iron and Steel Institute), SMA (Steel Manufacturers Institute) and MSCI (Metals Service Center Institute). He is currently a director of Hawkins, Inc, and serves as Chairman of the Board of Visitors of the University of Wisconsin School of Education. Mr Thompson is Chairperson of the Safety, Health, Environment, Community & Sustainability Committee, and is a Member of the Governance Committee.