Ertharin Cousin to become member of Bayer AG Supervisory Board

The Local Court of Cologne has appointed Ertharin Cousin as a member of the Supervisory Board of Bayer AG. Cousin, a U.S. citizen who holds a doctorate in law, served as executive director of the UN World Food Programme in Rome from 2012 until 2017 and is an internationally renowned expert in the area of nutrition and agriculture. The new appointment gives the Bayer Supervisory Board the added support it was targeting in view of the growing significance of the Crop Science business. “We are delighted to have such an outstanding person as Ertharin Cousin take on this task. Her exceptional experience in the area of nutrition, government and the United Nations makes her an ideal addition to the Supervisory Board,” said Werner Wenning, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bayer AG.

 Cousin will succeed Thomas Ebeling, who stepped down at the end of September to pursue new commitments at other companies. His term of office was not scheduled to end until 2022. “We would like to thank Mr. Ebeling for his outstanding and trusting cooperation,” continued Wenning.

 Ertharin Cousin is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a think tank dedicated to topics such as global food security and nutrition, urbanization, energy and water supply. Cousin also serves as a Visiting Scholar in the Stanford University Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Center for Food Security and Environment. Before taking up her position as executive director of the UN World Food Programme, Cousin was appointed as the U.S. ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture from 2009 to 2012. During her career, Cousin also served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the aid organization America’s Second Harvest (now called Feeding America). She also worked in several corporate leadership roles including Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief Information Officer at the U.S. supermarket chain Albertsons. During the Clinton administration, she served as the White House Liaison to the State Department, where she earned a Meritorious Service Award for her work. From 1987 to 1989, she held various positions at the Illinois Attorney General’s office, including Assistant Attorney General.

 “Ertharin Cousin has dedicated her career to the fight against hunger,” said Wenning. “We have a common vision to provide a sustainable food supply for the growing world population and to eradicate hunger. That takes innovation and technological advances, and means many different people working together on many different levels. Ertharin Cousin’s expertise and her international experience at the interface between government, business, academia and civil society organizations will give our company a new perspective.”