Syngenta Group Appoints Hengde Qin as Chief Executive Officer

Qin, who currently serves as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Seeds, will succeed Jeff Rowe. Rowe will remain in the role until August 1 before stepping down and returning to the United States after nearly 10 years with the company.

Qin will be based at Syngenta Groups headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, where he has been located since January 2023. He has been part of the executive team since 2020 and has held senior roles across business, finance, human resources and global operations.

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During his time at the company, he has served as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, and President of Syngenta Group China, where he helped drive strong growth and profitability. He is also a member of the Syngenta Group Board of Directors.

Rowe joined Syngenta in September 2016. He led the successful turnaround of the Seeds business, helping it achieve strong growth and return to profitability. He later headed the Crop Protection business, the company’s largest unit, before becoming Chief Executive Officer.

Qin previously served as CEO of two publicly listed companies in mainland China and Hong Kong. He holds a bachelors degree in economics and management from the East China Engineering Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and an MBA from the China Europe International Business School.

"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.

“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,” said Qin. “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.

About Syngenta Group

Syngenta Group is one of the world’s largest agricultural technology (AgTech) companies, with more than 50,000 employees across over 90 countries. The company is focused on supporting farmers with innovative solutions to help feed a growing global population while protecting the environment. Guided by its sustainability goal of higher yields with lower impact, Syngenta Group develops science-based innovations that aim to benefit both farmers and society at scale.

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