Biobest, a division of BioFirst Group, has appointed Tim Crittenden as its new UK general manager (GM). Crittenden succeeds Simon Jones who retired from the GM positionin March.
Tim Crittenden, who has been with Biobest UK since 2018, brings significant expertise in biological crop protection. Holding a BASIS Certificate in Commercial Horticulture, he has built strong relationships with growers and demonstrated a commitment to sustainable innovation.
Biobest has also named a new GM in the Netherlands. Arjan Heemskerk succeeds Bart Sosef, who led Biobest Netherlands for a decade and has recently been promoted to President Plant Products, another division within the global BioFirst Group.
Heemskerk previously served as Commercial Unit Lead EMEA Glass at Bayer Vegetable Seeds, where he focused on sustainable internal and external growth. ●
Simon Jones and Tim Crittenden
Arjan Heemskerk
BW Fusion, formed from the recent merger of three established companies, has appointed Darren Dillenbeck as its first CEO.
Dillenbeck joins BW Fusion after leading seven years of growthat FMC across North American markets.
During his 30 years in the agricultural market, Dillenbeck rose from technical field representative at Dow AgroSciences to his most recent role as president of FMC North America where he led the commercial, development and regulatory teams, and developed
strategies to drive growth goalsand business aspirations.
Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, BW Fusion was founded in 2019. In November 2024, BW Fusion merged and consolidated its product development, manufacturing and commercial expertise with Wells Ag Supply, Biodyne’s 30+ years of biological research and Agronomy 365’s data and software tools. ●
Darren Dillenbeck, CEO,BW Fusion
Fertilizer Canada’s board of directors appointed Michael Bourque as president and CEO.
Bourque previously served as CEO of the Canadian Real Estate Association and as president and CEO of the Railway Association of Canada. His background also includes senior public policy roles on Parliament Hill, leadership in the federal public service, and government relations in the chemical industry.
Fertilizer Canada represents producers, manufacturers, wholesale and retail distributors of nitrogen, phosphate, potash and sulphur fertilizers. The fertilizer industry plays an essential role in Canada’s economy, contributing over $42 billion annually and employing over 118,000 workers throughout the supply chain. ●
Michael Bourque, CEO, Fertilizer Canada
Bayer announced thatDr. Mike Graham will become the new head of Research & Development (R&D) for Bayer’s Crop Science division and serve as member of the leadership team. Graham succeeds Dr. Robert Reiter who retired after 27 years with the company and34 years in the industry.
Graham joined the company in 1996. From his early days as a plant breeder, he has steadily advanced his career, taking on roles with increasing responsibility. Throughout this period, he has been deeply involved in the design and development of next-generation seed, traits and customer-focused solutions.
Most recently, Graham led Bayer’s global Plant Breeding organization, driving the advancement of the industry-leading breeding pipeline by reimagining breeding and technical methodologies as well as spearheading the digital evolution. He will be based in St. Louis, MO. ●
Dr. Mike Graham, Head of R&D, Bayer's Crop Science Division
Jord BioScience has appointed Rob DeWolfe as chief financial and operating officer.
DeWolfe brings over 25 years of experience in finance, operations and business technology to Jord BioScience. He was most recently a partner at Growth Operators.
DeWolfe began his career in accounting before transitioning into senior management roles across various industries, with a focus on financial planning, demand and inventory planning, category management, and sales/marketing analysis.
Jord BioScience, founded on research from the University of Minnesota, is a science and analytics company developing microbial technologies to enhance crop productivity and sustainability in agriculture. ●
Rob DeWolfe, CFO, Jord BioScience
Emma Axelson, Jim Cink, Solito Sumulong.
SOLASTA Bio has appointed three senior business and industry experts to support the company’s UK and U.S. growth as it prepares for market entry.
Emma Axelson, based in Scotland, joins as chief of staff. She will be responsible for supporting Shireen Davies, CEO, with strategic planning and execution, operations, communications and key projects.
James Cink (Jim) joins as global head of Product Development, based in the U.S. He will lead product strategy and development, supporting Paula Pinto, SOLASTA Bio’s chief strategy officer, to execute to company’s go-to-market strategy.
Solito Sumulong, MBA, based in the U.S., joins as regulatory affairs manager. He will oversee registration of SOLASTA Bio’s solutions in the U.S. and international markets, as well as ensuring regulatory compliance for all company activities. ●
Pivot Bio has appointed Travis Frey as the company's chief technology officer (CTO). He assumes the post following the retirement of Ernie Sanders.
In this role, Frey will lead the company's global research and development, innovation and science teams at Pivot Bio. He will also serve on the company's executive leadership team, reporting to Chris Abbott, chief executive officer of Pivot Bio, and will be based at the company's corporate office in Wayzata, Minnesota.
Frey is adept at research, development and scientific discovery work, including at large global companies like Monsanto and growth-oriented startups like Cibus. Most recently, he served as chief technology officer at Mindful Care, a health care growth company. Before joining Mindful Care, he was the chief technology officer at Calyxt, contributing to the reverse merger between Calyxt and Cibus. Subsequently, he assumed an executive vice president position, responsible for developing the post-merger corporate strategy and sustainable products divisionof Cibus.
Frey’s career also includes roles such as vice president of science and innovation at WISErg Corporation, and various leadership roles at Monsanto Company, where he played a key part in advancing agricultural technologies and securing multiple patents.
Frey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in horticulture from The Pennsylvania State University (University Park), and a Master of Science degree in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds a Ph.D. in plant biology and biotechnology from the University of Delaware and Dupont/Pioneer. In addition, in 2018, Frey completed an MBA at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. Widely published, he has received dozens of patents on seeds, plant health, and packaging, as well as developed new genetic technologies for crop yield and disease resistance. ●
Travis Frey, CTO, Pivot Bio
Toopi Organics has appointed Frédéric Favrot as chief executive officer. He has over 30 years of experience in agricultural supplies, fertilizers, seeds and biosolutions.
Favrot has held management positions in companies in the agricultural sector, with a particular focus on biosolutions for over 20 years. Vice President of IBMA (International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association), active member of AFAÏA and involved in several competitiveness clusters, he has helped structure and promote natural solutions in agriculture.He is also recognized for having successfully marketed several innovative natural products.
Favrot’s priorities include developing technical and commercial partnerships with major players in European agricultural distribution, while affirming the unique value of Toopi solutions, designed as true agronomic tools. ●
Frédéric Favrot. CEO, Toopi Organics
