InnerPlant hires Syngenta Alum / Ex-Enko VP of Corp Development to lead charge toward commercialization

Date:12-15-2023

InnerPlant, the seed technology company enabling the earliest possible detection of stress in crops to make farming more efficient and sustainable, announces the hiring of veteran agtech executive Gary Schaefer to the role of Vice President of Revenue and Partnerships. Schaefer will lead the team driving the commercialization of InnerPlant’s technology and build on the company’s traction around industry partnerships. 

″My career has always centered on helping deliver ways to solve problems for farmers and make their work easier and more efficient,″ says Schaefer. ″I’m excited by the opportunity to expand InnerPlant’s alliances and build new ones to leverage their unique and powerful data for the benefit of farmers and the industry.″

Schaefer was most recently the Vice President of Corporate Development for agtech startup Enko following executive roles at crop-protection firms Syngenta and Valent. He holds a BS in Food and Resource Economics, as well as a Masters of Agribusiness from the University of Florida.

The news comes on the heels of InnerPlant’s recent announcement of its partnership with John Deere and Syngenta, as well as the launch of a fungal sensor pilot program with GROWMARK, an agricultural cooperative with over 400,000 customers.