Meet the Speakers - Bios

Manuel Bravo is president and general director of Bayer in Mexico, and leader of its Agricultural Division for the North of Latin America. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana and a postgraduate degree in Management from Northwestern University, and has built most of his career in the agriculture sector. Beyond his corporate career, Manuel has also worked as an independent entrepreneur in the financial sector, focusing on financing for small and medium-sized enterprises. Currently, he is also president of the Council of Global Companies in Mexico, which brings together the main 60 international companies with operations in the country, responsible for 10% of the GDP.

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Tom Eickhoff is Vice President of AgriScience Research & Insights at Bayer Crop Science, where he leads a global organization focused on advancing research, data-driven insights, and innovation to accelerate the company’s R&D strategy and pipeline.

Tom brings more than 19 years of leadership experience across Bayer spanning agronomy, data science, digital agriculture, and large-scale field research implementation. Most recently, he led digital farming’s data science efforts, translating cutting-edge research into scalable digital recommendations that deliver value for farmers and help transform complex field realities into customer-centric insights that strengthen the innovation pipeline.

Raised on a family-owned farm in Nebraska, Tom developed an early appreciation for the role of innovation in driving agricultural productivity and sustainability. He holds a B.S. in Agronomy and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Nebraska, grounding his leadership in both scientific expertise and a deep connection to North American agriculture and farming realities.

Known for connecting science with practical application, Tom champions the journey from Data → Science → Field → Farmer, turning information into knowledge and innovation into measurable value. As a frequent collaborator across disciplines and an engaging speaker, he is passionate about building high-performing, collaborative teams and advancing a culture that connects science, technology, digital innovation, AI-enabled insights, and customer needs to help farmers make better decisions and shape the future of agriculture.

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Juan Farinati serves as President and CEO of Bayer Cono Sur. Based in Argentina, he leads multidisciplinary teams across the Southern Cone focused on addressing global health and nutrition challenges in line with Bayer’s mission, Health for All, Hunger for None.

With more than 25 years of experience in the agricultural industry, Farinati joined Monsanto in 1999 and developed his career across different functions and leadership positions, leading businesses across multiple regions around the world before being appointed President of Monsanto Argentina in 2015.

Following Bayer’s acquisition of Monsanto, he became Business Operations Leader for Bayer Crop Science Cono Sur before being named President and CEO of Bayer Cono Sur in 2021.

Farinati holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Argentine Catholic University (UCA) and a Master’s degree in Agribusiness from Universidad del CEMA.

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Meike Fischer is a member of the Strategy & Sustainability Leadership Team and serves as the Global Co-Lead Crop Protection Asset Management and Head of Asset Management Insecticides & SeedGrowth for Crop Science Division of Bayer. Based in Monheim, Germany, she leads efforts to drive the global Crop Science Division of Bayer and build value for farmers worldwide.

Meike has worked at Bayer for more than 25 years and brings extensive international experience across Crop Science, Animal Health, and Pharmaceuticals. During her career, she has held leadership positions in Strategy, Regulatory Affairs, Asset Management, and Global Marketing in Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom. She has a proven ability to define and implement strategy and capitalize on new business opportunities.

Meike holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the FOM University of Applied Sciences. She is passionate about people development and diversity and enjoys spending time with her family and exploring new destinations.

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Mike Graham serves as Lead of Research and Development for the Crop Science Division of Bayer and is a member of the division’s Executive Leadership Team. He leads a global team focused on advancing Bayer’s crop protection products, seeds and traits portfolio, and biological solutions to help farmers produce more sustainably.

A third-generation plant scientist, Graham brings more than two decades of experience in plant breeding, biotechnology and agricultural innovation. He joined Bayer Crop Science in 2018 following his career at Monsanto, where he held roles across the Plant Breeding and Biotechnology divisions and began his career as a corn breeder.

Graham earned his Ph.D. in Plant Breeding from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, a Master of Science in Plant Breeding from the University of Delaware, and a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy from the University of Minnesota. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Bayer Science & Education Foundation and on the Board of Directors for the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

Born in Australia, Graham spent a decade living in Colombia and now resides in St. Louis. He is married and has two sons. Graham enjoys hiking, fishing, skiing and reading.

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Karin Guendel Gonzalez serves as Managing Director of Bayer CropScience Germany GmbH and Country Group Lead for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with full responsibility for Crop Protection, Seeds and Digital businesses across the DACH region. She represents Bayer with customers, policy stakeholders, media, associations and supervisory boards. She drives major transformation initiatives across go-to-market models, sales force design, digital enablement, operational efficiency and future-ready organizational capabilities.

Guendel Gonzalez brings more than three decades of international experience in agriculture. Her prior global and regional roles at Bayer include Head of Corporate Strategy for Crop Science, Head of Regulatory Affairs Fungicides, R&D project leadership, and asset and portfolio management across Europe and the Americas. This breadth has given her deep expertise across Crop Protection, Seeds & Traits and Digital, as well as a strong understanding of customer needs, market dynamics and complex stakeholder environments.

She studied Business Administration and Economics at the University of Phoenix and speaks the following languages: German, English, Spanish, French and Polish.

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Fabrice Houdebert serves as a member of the Crop Science Leadership Team as Head of Commercial Operations for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) for the Crop Science Division of Bayer. Based in Basel, Switzerland, he leads efforts to drive business growth through commercial innovation and execution, enabling Bayer to transform agriculture across the EMEA region.

Fabrice has worked at Bayer for over 25 years, bringing deep experience in Technology and Business Development, Portfolio Management, and Customer Experience across multiple segments including row crop seeds, vegetable seeds, biotechnology, and biologicals. He joined Bayer in 1998, and he held various positions across France, Spain, the Netherlands, the United States, and Switzerland.

In 2018, he served as Head of Regional Marketing for Crop Science in EMEA before becoming Cluster Lead for Northwest Europe in 2023 and Head of Product Supply for EMEA in 2025. Effective March 1, 2026, Houdebert was appointed Head of Commercial Operations, EMEA.

He studied at L'Institut Agro Montpellier, majoring in agronomy and management for agribusiness companies, and later earned an Executive MBA from IMD. He speaks French and English.

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Dr. Sascha Israel serves as Head of Product Supply for the Crop Science Division of Bayer and member of the Crop Science Leadership Team, overseeing the planning, manufacturing and delivery of Crop Science products and solutions worldwide.

In Bayer since 2014, Sascha Israel has been in different leadership positions across the Crop Science business. Prior to his current role, Sascha Israel was Head of Digital Transformation & IT, Marketing and Vegetable Seeds. Before that, he led the strategic integration of Bayer and Monsanto following the company merger in 2018. He previously served as the Crop Science Region Head for Asia Pacific, based in Singapore.

Before joining Bayer, Israel was a Partner at McKinsey & Company, Inc., where he served as the Leader of Agricultural Service Line for Europe, Middle East and Africa. He holds a PhD in competitive strategy from Otto-Beisheim Graduate School of Management.

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Amanda McClerren is Senior Vice President and Head of Plant Biotechnology in R&D at Bayer Crop Science. She leads the R&D capability home responsible for developing new traits and applying gene editing and genomics to enhance the genetic potential of seeds.

Previously, Amanda served as CIO and Head of Digital Transformation & Information Technology for Bayer Crop Science, where she led digital transformation across major functions. She also oversaw Crop Science.

R&D digital transformation and trait and pipeline delivery, helping advance an industry-leading field-testing platform, modernize breeding pipeline operations, and develop automated, digitally enabled greenhouse capabilities. In recognition of her technology leadership, Amanda received the 2024 Global ORBIE Award, which honors chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership.

Amanda holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Duke University. She is active in the St. Louis community as a board member of the Guardian Angel Settlement Association and is also involved with the Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation and GROW, Bayer’s Business Resource Group for women’s advancement. She also supports programs designed to mentor, support, and advance women in STEM fields, including Bayer’s Women in Science Exchange initiative. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and exploring the local food and art scene in St. Louis.

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Peter Müller serves as Senior Vice President, Head of Strategic Business Entity Cereals, Cotton, Canola / Oilseed Rape and Biofuels for Bayer’s Crop Science Division. Based with teams in Monheim am Rhein, Germany, and St. Louis, USA, he is responsible for defining and implementing global strategies, managing the global P&L of these franchises, and overseeing the Seeds & Traits product and technology portfolio. His work also includes driving digital transformation, developing new business models, and fostering partnerships across the agricultural value chain.

Peter brings more than 30 years of international experience in crop science and agriculture, with senior leadership roles across Europe, Asia and global functions. From 2019 to 2023, he served as Managing Director of Bayer Crop Science Deutschland GmbH. He previously led Bayer’s South Asia region from Mumbai, India, and held senior roles in regional marketing, country management, global strategy and commercial operations, including as Vice President and Chief of Staff to the CEO of the Crop Science Division.

Peter holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Cologne and has completed executive education programs at Harvard Business School, London Business School and IMD Lausanne. Outside of work, he enjoys food, wine, history, sports and time with his family.

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Brian Naber serves as President for the North America and Australia / New Zealand Region for Bayer’s Crop Science division and is a member of the Global Executive Leadership Team. He previously led the Asia Pacific Region for Bayer Crop Science, where he was responsible for advancing the company’s agricultural business and delivering value for customers.

Since joining the company in 1998 as a U.S. sales representative, Brian has held leadership roles across regions, functions and product areas, including Head of Global Asset Management for Insecticides in Germany, Cluster Commercial Lead for Northern Europe in the Netherlands, Vice President and U.S. Row Crops Commercial Operations Lead, Global Marketing and Product Management Lead for Vegetables, and U.S. Soybean and Corn Product Management Lead.

Brian earned a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management from Southwest Minnesota State University and a Master of Business Administration from Saint Louis University. Additionally, he is a member of the Crop Life America Board of Directors and serves on the Executive Level Investor Council of Greater St. Louis, Inc.

Raised in a farming family, Brian is passionate about providing tools and solutions that improve lives and livelihoods for farmers around the world. Outside of work, he is a proud father of two and, together with his wife, manages a small farm of their own.

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Malu Nachreiner is the Head of the Asia Region for Bayer’s Crop Science Division and a member of the Crop Science Leadership Team. Based in Singapore, she leads Bayer’s agricultural business across Asia, driving value for farmers and customers while advancing the region’s role in global food security.

With over 20 years at Bayer, Malu has held senior roles in Sales, Marketing, and Product Management. She previously served as Senior Bayer Representative and Country Division Head for Crop Science in Brazil—the first woman to hold the role—where she led transformative growth and advanced strategies in reputation, ESG, and commercial innovation.

A Brazilian national, Malu holds a degree from Esalq/USP and an Executive MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. She enjoys reading and spending time with her husband and two children.

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Elzandi Oosthuizen is part of the global strategy leadership team for Bayer’s Crop Science division, where she leads the enterprise corn product team.

She has held several global and regional leadership roles across Bayer’s Seed & Traits, Crop Protection and Vegetable operations, and has lived and worked in several countries. Prior to her current role, she was part of the R&D leadership team, leading the crop technology team focused on corn, soy and cotton.

Before moving into the corporate setting, Elzandi taught postgraduate mathematics as well as high school science and math for six years. She is a strong advocate for STEM education and is passionate about inspiring and developing people, promoting diversity and inclusion, and helping empower women. Over the past decade, she has supported these priorities through several initiatives. She received the 2024 Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence, served as an advisory board member for the 2019 Women in Food and Agriculture event, and was named an Eisenhower Fellow for the Zhi-Xing 2017 program.

Elzandi holds degrees from the University of Pretoria, the University of the Free State and North-West University in South Africa.

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Kacy Perry was appointed the Country Division Head (CDH) for Crop Science Canada, effective July 1. Prior to that she served as the North America Soybean Business Lead for Bayer’s Crop Science division and has been with Bayer for her entire career.

Kacy joined the company in 2009 as a Field Sales Representative in Illinois. She and her family then relocated to the St. Louis area where she has held various roles of increasing responsibility in marketing, product management, and sales, including leading the portfolio and pricing strategy for all U.S. corn brands. Most recently, she led a critical initiative as the Brand Strategy Lead, guiding the evolution and execution of the Channel Seed Professional Strategy in the U.S. business.

Kacy grew up on a farm in Windsor, Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Agricultural Economics. She has earned her Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University and her MBA from Indiana University. Kacy is a passionate advocate for agricultural education and the National FFA Organization.

Kacy and her husband currently reside in Wentzville, MO with their young daughter and will be relocating to Calgary, Alberta Canada. She enjoys cheering on the Holt high school football team where her husband is an assistant coach and spending time outside with her family.

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Rachel Rama serves as Crop Protection R&D Lead for Bayer’s Crop Science division and is a member of the Research & Development Leadership Team. In this role, she leads a global organization focused on designing the next generation of differentiated crop protection solutions that address the needs of farmers and society in a safe and sustainable way. Her work includes creating novel innovations and unlocking the full potential of Bayer’s pipeline and existing portfolio through advanced solution concepts that help farmers protect crop yields.

Driven by her passion for science, Rachel initiated and led the creation of CropKey, a disruptive innovation approach that integrates artificial intelligence as a catalyst for R&D. CropKey enables a shift from selecting the best solution to custom-designing precisely targeted and sustainable agricultural solutions, accelerating innovation and impact.

Rachel has more than 25 years of international experience at Bayer. She began her career shortly after completing her Ph.D. in Microbiology and has held a variety of scientific and leadership roles across R&D. A strategic, visionary leader, Rachel promotes open innovation, empowered teams and inclusive environments that help drive creativity and collective success.

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Guru Ramamurthy serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Bayer's Crop Science Division. He is part of the Crop Science Leadership Team as well as the Global Finance Leadership Team led by Wolfgang Nickl, the Board Member responsible for Finance.

Since joining Bayer in 2001, Ramamurthy has held numerous finance leadership roles across various business segments and geographies. Prior to his current position, he served as CFO of Bayer US, CFO of AskBio (Bayer’s wholly owned and independently operated gene therapy company), CFO of Bayer’s Medical Care division, and held other finance leadership positions in Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States. Before joining Bayer, Ramamurthy’s career focused on finance, audit, and accounting roles at Siemens, Citibank, and PwC.

He holds an Executive MBA from INSEAD, France, and a bachelor's degree in commerce with a focus on accounting and tax from St. Xavier's College, India. Additionally, he is an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) and a Graduate Cost and Works Accountant (Grad CWA), both of which are internationally recognized professional accounting qualifications.

Ramamurthy was born in India and currently lives in the United States with his wife and two children.

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Maurício Rodrigues is the president of Bayer's Agricultural Division in Latin America, with over 25 years of experience in the agricultural sector, risk management, and leading large groups.

Prior to joining Bayer, he worked at Banco BBA and Monsanto. With international experience in the US and Mexico, he graduated in Civil Engineering from USP, holds an MBA in Finance from IBMEC, and a postgraduate degree in Controllership from FGV.
He is a member of boards such as Amcham-Brazil, CEBDS, Mover, and the Latin American Corporation for Agribusiness Development.

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Johannes Daniёl (J.D.) Rossouw serves as Plant Breeding Lead for Crop Science Division of Bayer and is a member of the R&D Leadership Team. Based in St. Louis, he previously served on the R&D Leadership Team as Head of Vegetable Seeds R&D. Before that, he was Head of Plant Breeding, North America, where he led breeding, product development, pathology and field phenotyping for row crops including corn, soy, canola, cotton and wheat. He also helped lead the North America plant breeding transformation and served as the R&D representative on both the North America Commercial Leadership Team and the Vegetables Commercial Leadership Team.

J.D. began his career 27 years ago as a maize breeder in South Africa and has held plant breeding leadership roles across Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America North. He has lived with his family in Johannesburg, Singapore and St. Louis.

With a passion for advancing global agriculture, J.D. has served as president of the National Plant Breeders Association and the Southern Africa Plant Breeders’ Association, as well as in leadership roles with CropLife Asia and NAPB. He earned his Ph.D. in Plant Science, with a focus on Plant Breeding and Plant Pathology, from the University of the Free State in South Africa.

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Adriano Santos is a Senior Vice President and U.S. Area Lead for Bayer Crop Science. In his current role, Adriano is responsible for helping guide all customer-facing efforts with growers and strategic partners for Bayer commercial teams in the East region, which includes 14 Units across the Midwest and Eastern portions of the United States. Prior to this role, Adriano worked as a VP for Global Business Development and Licensing with Bayer and held a variety of product, sales and leadership roles within the US Agricultural Industry. A native of Brazil, Adriano earned his bachelor’s degree from the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Brazil), master’s degree in Process Engineering from Hamburg University of Technology (Germany) and his Executive MBA from the Washington University in St. Louis – Olin Business School. He is also a member of the Agribusiness Industry Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

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Marcio Santos is CEO of Bayer Group Brazil and President of Bayer’s Crop Science Division in the country. He holds a degree in Agronomy from the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) and executive education qualifications from Harvard and the University of São Paulo (USP).

He is also a farmer himself. With more than 20 years at Bayer, Marcio has held a variety of commercial roles with increasing responsibilities, focusing on strategic planning, sales, and marketing.

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Rodrigo Santos is a member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG, where he serves as Head of the Crop Science Division. He also oversees the Latin America and Africa regions on the Group Board of Management.

With over 25 years of experience in the crop science industry, Rodrigo began his career as a sales representative in 1995 and joined Monsanto in 1999. He held various roles in sales, marketing, market development and strategy, leading organizations in Brazil, Latin America, Europe and the US, and most recently served as Chief Operating Officer for Crop Science Division of Bayer.

Rodrigo was born in Brazil and holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz - ESALQ/USP and a Master of Business Administration from FGV/Ohio University.

He is a member of the Bayer Foundation Board, serving as Executive Director of its Social Innovation Program. Rodrigo also represents Bayer on global platforms such as CropLife International and the World Economic Forum, and is a member of Greater St Louis, Inc.

Rodrigo is married and has three children.

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Frank Terhorst serves as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and as Head of Strategy & Sustainability for the Crop Science Division of Bayer. Based in Monheim, Germany, he leads efforts to drive the division’s long-term business and sustainability strategies that benefit farmers, consumers, and the planet.

Terhorst has worked at Bayer for over 25 years in the agriculture industry, bringing deep experience in crop strategy, crop protection, seeds and traits, strategic business initiatives, business modeling, mergers and acquisitions, licensing and lifecycle crop management. After beginning his career in crop protection in Germany, Terhorst held various positions in global portfolio management, marketing and controlling, as well as Managing Director/Country Head roles in the Netherlands and Italy.

In 2011, he served as Head of Strategy for Fruits and Vegetables and Insecticides in Germany before becoming Global Head of Seeds. Terhorst is married and has one son. He enjoys running, diving, golf and traveling. Terhorst speaks five languages: German, English, Italian, Dutch, and Spanish.

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Axel Trautwein serves as Regulatory Science Lead for Crop Science Division of Bayer and is a member of the R&D Leadership Team. Based in Monheim, Germany, he leads a global team responsible for ensuring product safety through science-based risk assessments, securing regulatory approvals in an increasingly complex environment, and overseeing regulatory stewardship and compliance. His team’s work spans Bayer’s crop protection, plant biotechnology and seeds technologies, including chemical and biological crop protection solutions.

Axel became Head of Regulatory Science in June 2021 after serving as Head of Crop Protection since 2012, a role in which he was also part of the Crop Science R&D Leadership Team. There, he led a global team focused on discovering new molecules and exploring the full potential of Bayer’s pipeline and existing product portfolio through innovative formulation concepts to help farmers protect crop yields.

With nearly 27 years of international experience at Bayer, Axel has held roles across research, regulatory, strategy consulting and executive functions. He began his career at Bayer after earning his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Tuebingen in Germany.

Passionate about innovative chemistry and life sciences R&D, he brings strategic thinking, deep technical expertise and a strong commitment to developing diverse teams.

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Simon Wiebusch has served as Vice Chairman, Managing Director & CEO of Bayer CropScience Limited since November 1, 2023, and as Country Divisional Head for Bayer’s Crop Science business in India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka since January 1, 2022. Based at Bayer’s South Asia headquarters in Thane, India, he joined the region in 2018 as Chief Operating Officer of the Crop Science Division.

Simon began his Bayer career in 1998 at the company’s headquarters in Germany and has since held leadership roles across Germany, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and South Asia, including leading Bayer’s Southeast Asia business from Bangkok.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Applied Sciences in Essen, Germany, and an MBA from the University of Bradford. With more than two decades of agriculture experience, Simon is focused on advancing sustainable farming systems that improve productivity, resilience and farmer livelihoods while preserving natural resources.

His work emphasizes the integration of agronomy, technology and value chains—especially in smallholder-driven systems—and he is a strong advocate for sustainable and regenerative agriculture, digital tools and data-driven farming.

Simon also serves as Vice Chairman of the Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture and Chair of the Crop Protection Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry.

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Jeremy Williams serves as Head of Digital Farming Solutions and Commercial Ecosystems for Crop Science Division of Bayer, where he leads a diverse team focused on advancing digital tools and capabilities that help unlock the next wave of agricultural innovation. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, he is a member of the Crop Science Leadership Team.

Previously, Jeremy served on Bayer Crop Science's Research & Development Leadership Team as Senior Vice President and Head of Plant Biotechnology.

Jeremy brings more than 25 years of experience across biotechnology and agrochemical research and development. He joined Bayer Crop Science in 2018 after serving in several R&D leadership roles at Monsanto, including Head of Chemistry R&D. He began his career as one of the founding scientists at Divergence Inc., a St. Louis-based startup, where he held scientific and leadership positions prior to the company's acquisition by Monsanto in 2011. He is a co-inventor on several patents held by Divergence and its collaborators and was named a Senior Monsanto Fellow in 2016.

Jeremy earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics from Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry and French from Swarthmore College. He lives in St. Louis with his wife and their children.

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Lara Alpan is Chief of Staff for North America Breeding at Bayer Crop Science, where she helps turn big ideas into clear priorities, meaningful decisions, and tangible outcomes. She spends her days connecting strategy, operations, people, and culture so teams can focus on what matters most: delivering innovation for farmers.

With a background spanning science communication, strategy, organizational transformation, and leadership engagement, Lara has built a career translating complexity into clarity and helping teams navigate change with confidence. She is known for asking the questions that connect today's decisions to tomorrow's opportunities and for bringing structure to ambiguity without losing sight of the people behind the work.

Originally trained as a biologist, Lara combines scientific curiosity with a passion for leadership, team effectiveness, and building organizations where people can do their best work. When she's not facilitating strategy discussions or helping leaders align around a shared vision, you'll likely find her tending an oversized pumpkin patch, traveling in search of new experiences, binge watching Real Housewives or convincing her ever-growing collection of dogs, cats and other pets to cooperate for family photos.

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Gustavo Belchior, PhD is Head of Partnerships & Deals for Bayer Crop Science R&D in Latin America, based in São Paulo, Brazil. In this role, he supports internal R&D teams in identifying problems that could benefit from partnering with externals to unlock innovation, leading to collaborating and partnering with startups, VCs funds/builders, other companies, research institutions, and innovation ecosystems to accelerate innovation and strategic partnerships across the region.

Gustavo holds a degree in Biological Sciences and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of São Paulo (USP), including a research period at the Saban Research Institute at Children's Hospital Los Angeles/USC. He began his non-academic career as a biotech entrepreneur, and transitioned to Monsanto working in regulatory affairs, later expanding his experience into entrepreneurship, scientific communication and consulting, and innovation.

Since joining Bayer in 2020, he has held roles in regulatory scientific affairs, corporate open innovation leading LifeHub São Paulo, and also served as a DSO Coach. He is passionate about translating complex science and innovation topics into meaningful stories that connect people to new ways of thinking, working, and generating value.

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Anne Mwaniki is the Northern Region Lead within the Agricultural Research Insights organization at Bayer Crop Science R&D. With over 15 years of experience in the Agricultural industry across research, Intellectual Property Strategy, Project Management, and Change Management, she has successfully led strategic initiatives and business transformation efforts throughout North America.

Anne earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from North Carolina State University and a Master of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Florida. She brings extensive expertise in driving innovation, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering impactful solutions that advance research and agricultural outcomes.

A native of Kenya, Anne is an advocate for STEM education and science engagement. She is passionate about inspiring future scientists and expanding access to opportunities that encourage innovation, learning, and community impact.

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Giulio Volpin is a scientist at Bayer Crop Science R&D based in Monheim, Germany. He currently serves as Digital Transformation Lead for the late phases of Crop Protection R&D. Since joining Bayer Crop Science in 2018, Giulio has contributed to the invention and optimization of chemical processes to advance our crop protection pipeline. Alongside his scientific work, he has maintained a strong interest in applying artificial intelligence and data science to chemistry, collaborating with academic partners and industry networks to advance the field.

Giulio holds a Diploma in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from the University of Urbino, Italy, and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from LMU Munich, complemented by research experiences at the University of Cambridge, UK, and New York University.

Outside of work, Giulio enjoys travelling with his wife and has a keen interest in technology and engineering ranging from Formula 1 to large-scale infrastructure projects.

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Nahzir Okde is an agronomist and currently serves as the Agricultural Partnerships Manager at Grupo Bom Futuro. Holding a solid background in Agricultural Sciences, he brings extensive expertise in agribusiness corporate management, seed quality auditing, and farm business structuring. In his current role, he drives partnership strategies and innovative collaboration models for one of Brazil's largest and most prominent agricultural producers.

He has extensive experience across a wide range of agricultural inputs, including pre-commercial testing of Plenexos, Bayer's next-generation crop protection product designed for farmer flexibility, efficacy and being highly selective to safeguard non-target insect species.

Jerry Seuntjens is a fourth-generation corn and soybean farmer and the owner/operator of Seuntjens Farms, a multi-generational family operation based near Kingsley in northwest Iowa (Plymouth County). He farms roughly 2,600 acres in a corn-soybean rotation and is widely recognized as an early and vocal adopter of digital agriculture tools, and he is frequently featured in Bayer-branded content - including FieldView, DEKALB, and Asgrow - as a practical voice for how technology delivers measurable ROI on real Midwest farms.
Jerry brings a grounded, producer’s perspective to discussions about seed performance, digital tools, and the future of American agriculture. Beyond his own operation, he supports neighboring growers by providing custom spraying and fertilizer application services and by sharing practical knowledge of new technologies. He is known for a hands-on, continuous-improvement mindset—seeking better returns through precise input management, on-farm trials, and data transparency.

Jerry lives on the family farm with his wife, Shari. Together, they raised their daughter while he managed the farming operation and Shari worked as an OB-GYN nurse in Sioux City.

Sean Blomgren is a fourth-generation farmer and owner of Blomgren Seed since 2010, an independent ag retail business near Ames, Iowa. The company was founded in 1989 and has grown through strong relationships with growers and supplier partners who share a long-term view of farm success.

Sean received his Executive MBA from Iowa State University’s Ivy School of Business in 2024 and is recognized for promoting continued education across agribusiness and crop management.

He currently serves on advisory councils for Bayer, Pivot Bio, and Iowa Corn Growers Association, and is known for bringing energy, candor, and practical insight to every conversation. As co-host of the agronomy-focused podcast A Penney for Your Thoughts, Sean enjoys creating space for honest dialogue around what’s working (and what’s not) in crop production.

Above all, Sean’s passionate about building a better future for farmers and agriculture that is rooted in collaboration, innovation, and long-term food security.

Scott Henry is a 4th generation grain and livestock farmer from Nevada, IA. His family’s farming operation, LongView Farms, raises corn and soybeans on 10,000 acres, including contract production for Bayer.

LongView owns and operates livestock facilities designed for custom feeding pigs and cattle for local livestock producers. The synergies allow for diversified revenue streams, vertical integration, and more sustainable production practices, particularly the use of manure as an alternative to synthetic fertilizer. LongView also uses regenerative agriculture practices such as cover crops, minimum tillage, prescription-based applications, and have recently begun implementing biologicals.

Scott is also Partner and member of the investment team at Red Reef Partners; an investment management firm focused on North American farmland. Red Reef primarily invests in annual row crop properties through funds or separately managed accounts on behalf of institutional investors. To date, Red Reef has invested in more than 18 US states and Canadian provinces with primary focus areas in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and the Delta.