Syngenta Group Appoints Hengde Qin as Chief Executive Officer

• Succession from COO follows deliberate Board process, Jeff Rowe to remain CEO through August 1

BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Syngenta Group today announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Hengde Qin as Chief Executive Officer, effective August 1, 2026, following a thorough nomination and succession process. Qin, currently Chief Operating Officer and Head of Seeds, succeeds Jeff Rowe, who will remain in the role through August 1 before returning to the United States after nearly 10 years with the company.

Fanrong Li, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said “The Board of Directors believes Hengde, a highly respected leader who boasts a unique combination of operational, financial and commercial experience is the best candidate for the role. We are confident that Hengde will take Syngenta Group to the next level of its sustainable development and value creation. We want to sincerely thank Jeff for his contribution and service as he led the Company through focused execution during one of the most challenging periods in modern agriculture.”

Qin will be based in company headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, where he has been located since January 2023. He has served on Syngenta Group's executive team since 2020, holding senior roles across the business, finance, human resources, and global operations. During his tenure he has served as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer for Syngenta Group as well as President of Syngenta Group China — where he led a period of significant growth and profitability expansion that established the China business as one of the company's strongest-performing operations. He is a member of the Syngenta Group Board of Directors.

“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. 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.”

Qin previously held CEO positions at two publicly listed companies in mainland China and Hong Kong. He holds a bachelor's 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.

Rowe joined Syngenta in September 2016 and was responsible for the successful turnaround of the Seeds business, which saw strong growth and a return to profitability. He then went on to lead the Crop Protection business, the company's largest business unit, before taking over as CEO.

“I am deeply honored by the Board’s confidence in me and grateful for the opportunity to succeed Jeff,” said Qin.

About Syngenta Group

Syngenta Group is one of the world’s largest agricultural technology (AgTech) companies, employing over 50,000 people in more than 90 countries. Syngenta Group is focused on creating Breakthroughs for farmers, in every field™, so they can make the transformation required to feed a growing world population while preserving our planet. Guided by its Sustainability Goal, of higher yields with lower impact, Syngenta Group’s bold scientific discoveries deliver better benefits for farmers and society on a bigger scale than ever before. Syngenta Group is the largest AgTech company by revenue, ranked number one in crop protection, number one in biologicals and number three in seeds.

Syngenta Group, which is registered in Shanghai, China, and has its management headquarters in Switzerland, draws strength from its four business units: Syngenta Crop Protection, headquartered in Switzerland; Syngenta Seeds, headquartered in the United States; ADAMA^®, headquartered in Israel; and Syngenta Group China.

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