faith in the Marketplace Luncheon
Mark Whitacre and his wife Ginger answer questions following his presentation at the 2026 Faith in the Marketplace luncheon.
Mark Whitacre spoke to students, faculty, staff, and local business leaders at the annual Faith in the Marketplace luncheon. Whitacre is a former executive at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) who became one of the most notable corporate whistleblowers in U.S. history.
He shared his life journey of incredible wealth and success followed by unimaginable fear as he wore a wire for 3 years and then ultimate devastation when he was sentenced to 8 years in prison. However, Whitacre described how his life was changed in prison when, under the mentorship of prison ministry leaders and Bible studies, he came to a committed Christian faith and encountered the transforming forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
After his release in 2006, Whitacre rebuilt his life, eventually earning a Ph.D. in Leadership and becoming active in Christian ministry.
Today, he serves as Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Chaplain at Coca-Cola Consolidated (Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated), one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the United States. In that role, he provides spiritual support, counseling, and ethical leadership guidance to employees.
As part of the event, we also had student entrepreneurs in the lobby sharing their experiences and meeting with local business professionals.
