NewLeaf Symbiotics names Matt Helms as VP of marketing

Matt Helms has been hired as the new Vice President of Marketing at NewLeaf Symbiotics, a company dedicated to sustainable agriculture and singularly focused on naturally occurring microbes known as M-trophs. Helms brings more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in the crop protection industry.

Helms worked at Monsanto Company (now Bayer Crop Science) for 18 years, where he most recently served as Vice President of Global Ag Productivity Technology. In this role, he oversaw the company's comprehensive long-term strategy, portfolio priorities, and funding for technology research and development for both foliar and seed treatment crop protection solutions.

He also held roles as VP of Global Business Development and VP of Global Crop Protection Marketing.

"Matt's expertise will be critical in helping our M-troph technology and Terrasym products expand into the larger ag market," said Tom Laurita, CEO. "He has proven that he has a deep understanding of how to bring new technologies to market so that farmers can access the products they need to protect their crops and improve yield."

"After nearly two decades working for a major agriculture company, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to serve as Vice President of Marketing at NewLeaf," said Helms. "I'm inspired by the passion and the experience of the NewLeaf people, and I truly believe that M-trophs have the potential to help transform agriculture. M-troph technology will be a game-changer for farmers by making crops stronger, more stable, and more tolerant of stress throughout their life cycle."

Helms' additional achievements at Monsanto include managing branding, product launch, market research and advertising and promotion for products in the herbicide and seed businesses. Prior to Monsanto, he worked in sales at Novartis Crop Protection (now part of Syngenta) and as a financial consultant for Deloitte & Touche LLP. He earned a BS in Agriculture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an executive MBA at Washington University in St. Louis.