CropLife International elects Livio Tedeschi of BASF as new Chairman of the Board, succeeding Erik Fyrwald of Syngenta

On 09 October 2023, CropLife International announced the Chairmanship rotation, naming Livio Tedeschi, President, BASF Agricultural Solutions as Chairman of its Board of Directors to succeed outgoing Chairman Erik Fyrwald of Syngenta Group.

With his extensive and long-time experience in the agricultural industry, Livio will support CropLife International in championing innovative technologies that enable farmers to sustainably increase productivity while managing the critical challenges facing our climate and the environment.

Commenting on his appointment, Livio said, ″Farming is currently undergoing the largest transformation in its history. There has never been a more exciting time to be in agriculture to shape a more sustainable future, balancing food security and climate protection. I am certain that the transformation of our food systems can succeed if we holistically combine all available tools – be it biological and chemical crop protection, seeds & traits, as well as digital solutions – and at the same time drive forward new technologies. It is a privilege to be part of this fundamental change as Chairman of CropLife International, representing multiple innovation-driven companies across the agricultural industry.″

Congratulating Livio on his appointment, Emily Rees, CropLife International’s President & CEO, said,″I look forward to working closely with Livio and the Board of Directors to ensure we deliver on our ambitions of feeding a growing population while tackling climate change and protecting our natural resources. 

″With Livio’s strong leadership and expertise, I’m confident we can continue to reduce barriers to innovation to chart a path toward greater sustainability in agriculture.″

Livio succeeds Erik Fyrwald, CEO of Syngenta Group, who over the last two years helped CropLife International navigate challenging geopolitical shifts stemming from conflict and COVID, ensuring the industry was poised to meet growing demands.

″I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Erik for his vision, his leadership, and his commitment to innovative solutions to global challenges,″ Emily added. 

About CropLife International: As a global voice and leading advocate for the plant science industry, we champion innovative technologies that help farmers grow more food on less land sustainably. We represent six of the world’s leading multinational R&D companies in the plant science sector by protecting intellectual property to foster a culture of innovation; advocating for trade and regulatory policies that facilitate access to new technologies; and ensuring the responsible and effective use of plant science innovations.

Livio Tedeschi President, BASF Agricultural Solutions

Livio Tedeschi has been President of BASF Agricultural Solutions since April 2022. Prior to his current role, Livio held several leadership positions at BASF Group, including Senior Vice President EMEA & CIS, Vice President of Global Strategic Marketing Insecticides (both Agricultural Solutions division); Director of Innovation Strategy (Corporate Strategy division); Head of Marketing (Chemical Intermediates division), Head of Marketing and Product Manager (Agricultural Solutions division) and Team Leader (Global Research). He has also been Chair of the CropLife Europe Board of Directors from 2021-2022.

Livio holds an Executive MBA from ESSEC Business School (France); carried out post-doctoral studies in Organic Chemistry at the Imperial College London (UK); holds a PhD in Organic Synthesis from RWTH Aachen (Germany) as well as a Master of Science in Chemistry from La Sapienza University in Rome (Italy). Livio is married and has an exceptional passion for classical music and arts.

Erik Fyrwald CEO, Syngenta Group

Erik Fyrwald joined Syngenta Group in June 2016 as Chief Executive Officer. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Univar, a leading distributor of chemistry and related services, from May 2012 until May 2016. In 2008, following a 27-year career at DuPont, he joined the Nalco Company, a leading water treatment products and services company, serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until December 2011, when Nalco merged with Ecolab Inc. Following the merger, Erik Fyrwald served as President of Ecolab, a global provider of water, hygiene and energy technologies. From 2003 to 2008, Erik Fyrwald served as Group Vice President of the agriculture and nutrition division at the DuPont Company. From 2000 until 2003, he was Vice President and General Manager of DuPont’s nutrition and health business. Erik Fyrwald serves on the boards of directors of Syngenta Group, Bunge, CropLife International, Eli Lilly, the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce and the UN World Food Program Farm to Market Initiative. He is also Chairman of the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. Erik Fyrwald attended the University of Delaware, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering in 1981. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.