UPL accelerates OpenAg with appointment of Carlos Pellicer as COO

UPL has appointed Carlos Pellicer as Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. Pellicer has been a key architect of UPL’s integration of Arysta (following its acquisition by UPL two years ago). The company is ‘Reimagining Sustainability, powered by its OpenAg purpose to create sustainable growth for all.

“The potential for our business to create new value is incredible,” said Pellicer. “UPL is uniquely positioned to deliver superior performance over the next few years. Our ambition is to be the new No.1 at the cross-point of sustainable food systems and sustainable ag. We have a fantastic team around the world and I look forward to activating all this creative energy, as we accelerate OpenAg to the next business level”, he said.

Jai Shroff, the UPL CEO, said, “Carlos is an amazing entrepreneur, the best I have seen in my career, who is truly committed to our mission of making every food product sustainable. The originator of our OpenAg purpose, his commitment to a purpose-led strategy has brought new energy and focus across our entire operations. With Carlos at the helm, together with our experienced executive leadership team and 12,000 dedicated UPL people worldwide, I am confident we will grow better and faster than our peers”, he said.

Pellicer’s appointment comes as Diego Casanello is leaving UPL to pursue new opportunities outside the sector. Casanello will be available to UPL until 31st May 2021 for a smooth transition.

On his departure, Jai said, “Diego played a leading role in the Arysta integration with UPL and post-acquisition delivered an outstanding performance, better than our peers. He provided a clear strategic direction to the team. His heart will always remain with UPL and we will always stay connected with him”.

Pellicer, who brings over 30 years of experience in the Ag industry, was previously COO – Strategy, Innovation & Integration at UPL. He originally joined UPL with the acquisition of DVA in Brazil, building a successful Crop Protection business in that agricultural powerhouse from scratch and then playing a key strategic role in creating a strong position for UPL globally.