Syngenta Group CEO Hengde Qin will lead the company from August 1, 2026, following a unanimous decision by the Board of Directors. The leadership transition follows a planned succession process. Meanwhile, Jeff Rowe will continue serving as CEO until August 1 before returning to the United States after nearly a decade with the company.
Qin currently serves as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Seeds. Since January 2023, he has been working from the company’s headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. In addition, he has been occupying various leadership roles in finance, human resources, business operations, and global management since he joined the company’s executive board in 2020.
“Agriculture stands at the center of the world’s most important challenges – from feeding a growing population to improving sustainability and resilience across food systems,” “That is why the mission of this company matters so deeply to me — we help farmers produce higher yields with lower impact. That mission has never been more important, and few companies are as well positioned as Syngenta to lead that transformation. Together with Syngenta’s talented employees around the world, we will continue to innovate, create lasting value for our customers, and deliver more breakthroughs for farmers, in every field.”
Earlier on, Qin had worked in the capacity of Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, and President of Syngenta Group China. During that period, he drove significant business growth and improved profitability. As a result, the China business became one of the company’s strongest-performing operations.
“I have worked closely with Hengde for many years and have seen firsthand his commitment to our business, his understanding of our customers, and his deep appreciation for the people who make this company successful. This is a transition from strength to strength,” said Rowe.
Furthermore, Qin previously served as CEO of two publicly listed companies in mainland China and Hong Kong. He holds degrees in economics, industrial engineering, and an MBA from China Europe International Business School.
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News Source: Businesswire.com
