[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
ADM names Syngenta head Jeff Rowe as COO
Agriculture giant expects clearer U.S. biofuels policy, renewed soybean trade with China to improve farm economy
ADM's Decatur, Ill., facility. (ADM)
Key Takeaways:
- ADM appointed Syngenta CEO Jeff Rowe as chief operating officer effective Aug. 17, reporting to CEO Juan Luciano.
- The hire expands ADM’s leadership as it pursues biofuels growth and stronger soybean trade while recovering from accounting-related scrutiny.
- Rowe will oversee commercial operations, manufacturing and R&D, while Syngenta named COO Hengde Qin as CEO effective Aug. 1.
Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. appointed the head of Syngenta Group, Jeff Rowe, as its chief operating officer, as the crop trader strengthens its management team while navigating shifts in global agriculture markets.
Rowe will oversee ADM’s commercial business, manufacturing, and research and development efforts, the company said in a July 20 statement. Rowe comes to ADM from Swiss agri-tech company Syngenta, where he had been CEO since January 2024.
ADM is beefing up its management as it expects clearer U.S. biofuels policy and renewed soybean trade with China to improve the farm economy, even as the conflict in the Middle East crimps access to commodities like fuel and fertilizer.
The company has come through a difficult period following scrutiny into its accounting practices. ADM earlier this year settled allegations with the U.S. Justice Department without admitting or denying wrongdoing.
Rowe will report to CEO Juan Luciano, who has been helming one of the country’s largest crop traders for years without a chief operating officer. Luciano himself also faced pressure amid the accounting probe, but the board has backed him and his contract was renewed.
The appointment is “not a change in ADM’s strategy, but rather a continued commitment to capitalize on new opportunities,” an ADM spokesperson said in an email, adding that Rowe led Syngenta’s efforts “to advance sustainable farming and AI-powered, science-based innovation, delivering modern, tailored solutions for stakeholders worldwide.”
Image
Rowe
ADM has been leaning into regenerative agriculture, and just last week announced a partnership with General Mills and Walmart to develop such practices across U.S. wheat fields.
The appointment, effective Aug. 17, brings Rowe back to the U.S., where he helps run his family’s farming operation in Illinois.
Shares were down as much as 1.6% on July 20, before erasing most of the losses. ADM stock is up more than 50% over the past year.
For Syngenta, Rowe’s departure comes as it has been working toward a $5 billion initial public offering in Hong Kong, which has been delayed by a challenging farm economy. The Chinese-owned company said in a separate statement that it had appointed Hengde Qin, its current chief operating officer and head of its seeds segment, to CEO, effective Aug. 1.
The move is “a great opportunity” and close to Rowe’s family and farm in the U.S., said Saswato Das, chief communications and corporate affairs officer at Syngenta. “He leaves a strong team and legacy behind at Syngenta, and we wish him every success.”
ADM ranks No. 80 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest private carriers in North America and No. 11 on the agriculture sector list.
