Bayer US names Albert Mitchell, Michael Parrish to senior leadership roles

Bayer U.S. announced the appointments of Albert J. Mitchell and Michael Parrish to two of the company's corporate affairs leadership positions. 

 

Both moves are effective immediately. 

 

Mitchell was appointed to the newly created position of Vice President of Corporate Engagement in the U.S. and will be based in St. Louis, while Parrish was named as the new Vice President of Government Relations and will be based in Washington, D.C. 

 

In his new role, Mitchell will be responsible for leading Bayer's community engagement, including country-wide corporate employee volunteer programs such as the company's award-winning Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education program. Mitchell will also oversee Bayer's engagement with NGOs and public/private organizations and the company's Community Service Day. Additionally, he will serve as President of the Monsanto Fund and will manage the Bayer Foundation. 

 

Parrish will serve as the chief legislative and public policy official for Bayer in the U.S., leading engagement with the Legislative and Executive branches of U.S. Federal, State and local governments. In this role, he will be responsible for the strategic direction of the Government Relations functions of Bayer in the U.S. 

 

Both Mitchell and Parrish transition into these roles from top leadership positions within Monsanto. They will report to Raymond F. Kerins, Jr., Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs of Bayer, and will serve on the U.S. Communications, Government Relations and Policy Leadership Team. 

 

"Al and Mike bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to Bayer at this crucial time," Kerins said. "As an innovation leader in health and nutrition, Bayer needs people like Al and Mike on the front lines to help shape our engagement with our most important audiences. We are delighted to have them in these important roles." 

 

A St. Louis native, Mitchell began his career with Monsanto in 1984, and he served in numerous positions at the company before assuming the role of Monsanto Fund President in March 2016. He also served as Monsanto's Vice President of Community Relations. He received a degree in accounting from Michigan State University. 

 

Parrish, a Pennsylvania native, most recently served as the Vice President of Public and Industry Affairs for North America at Monsanto and was responsible for the company's media relations and strategic partnerships across Canada, Latin America and the United States. 

 

Prior to this, Parrish spent nine years as a director of government affairs for Monsanto, a position based in Washington, D.C. He also served as an advisor to U.S. Congressman Sam Farr and in various roles at the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Justice, and he has also been a policy advisor to the Australian Minister for Science and Technology. 

 

Parrish has a bachelor's degree in international relations from American University and a master's of science degree in public policy from the University of Sydney.