James Collins is appointed chairperson of the board for Vestaron

Vestaron Corporation announces that James C. Collins Jr., former CEO of Corteva, has been appointed chairperson of the board following a vote of members at the May board meeting.

Collins joined the Vestaron board in January 2023, bringing more than 35 years of experience in the agriculture and food industries across operations, sales, marketing, business development, and corporate leadership. Collins led the creation, spinout, and launch of Corteva Agriscience from the merger of Dow AgroSciences and DuPont. He was previously Chief Operating Officer for the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, and prior to the DowDuPont merger, served as Executive Vice President for DuPont agriculture segments, including DuPont Crop Protection and Pioneer. Collins is also a member of ADM’s board of directors serving on sustainability and compensation committees.

″Jim brings unrivaled knowledge and expertise in guiding the crop protection sector towards a bold new era of innovation and sustainability,″ says Anna Rath, CEO of Vestaron. ″His insights and first-hand experience launching the industry’s last broad-spectrum nerve and muscular mode of action insecticide prior to Spear® are invaluable as Vestaron positions for dynamic growth as a market-first provider of biopesticide technologies that are helping growers regain control of costly pest damage.″

″I’m excited to take a leadership position on the Vestaron board as the organization takes a major leap forward in providing powerful new crop protection solutions to benefit growers and the greater agri-food system. Vestaron’s commitment to harness nature’s untapped potential to create safe and sustainable innovations aligns with both my passion and career-long focus on improving the resiliency of agriculture and our food systems,″ says Collins. ″I continue to be impressed with Vestaron’s leadership team and their execution and believe wholeheartedly in the mission and potential of the organization.″

An active supporter of industry initiatives, Collins has served on the board of directors for CropLife International and Longwood Gardens and is a Champion of the Crop Trust's Food Forever Initiative. A supporter of youth development, Collins has also served on the National 4‑H Council Board and University of Tennessee Lone Oaks Farm Advisory Council. He was awarded an honorary American FFA Degree for his efforts to promote agriculture education among youth in the U.S. Collins was also a member of the Business Round Table, serving in the Special Committee on Equity and Racial Justice, Climate Policy and Trade Committees.