AMVAC appoints new head of Regulatory group

Date:08-10-2012

American Vanguard Corporation (AMVAC) announced that it has appointed Cindy Baker Smith to the position of Senior Vice President & Director of Global Regulatory Affairs of its principal operating subsidiary, AMVAC Chemical Corporation, effective September 1, 2012. In this new role, Mrs. Baker Smith will be responsible for overseeing all regulatory and government affairs relating to the Company’s 37 active ingredients in 45 countries, including product registrations, re-registrations, label expansions, data study generation, product defense and compliance with both domestic and foreign laws. Over the remainder of 2012, she will work in tandem with AMVAC’s current Vice President & Director of Regulatory Affairs, Ian Chart, who plans to retire at end of the year.
 
Mrs. Baker Smith has spent the last 17 years at the Gowan Group of Companies, a privately-held manufacturer and distributor of specialty chemicals used in agriculture. Starting as a regulatory specialist with Gowan, she rose to positions of increasing responsibility in managing global regulatory affairs, marketing, supply chain administration, and human resources, culminating with the position of chief operating officer, where she was responsible for managing an organization of 200 employees. Mrs. Baker Smith has worked extensively with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and many foreign agencies and currently serves as chairperson of the Strategic Oversight Council of CropLife America, a committee of which she has been a member for several years.  
 
Eric Wintemute, Chairman and CEO of American Vanguard, commented, “Cindy’s depth of knowledge in regulatory affairs, global experience and breadth of management skills will make her an invaluable addition to the AMVAC team. Cindy has a consistent record of success in establishing and growing a cutting-edge regulatory practice to keep pace with international expansion. She comes to us at a time when we are expanding our global footprint — a time that is both exciting and challenging. We believe that Cindy is ideally suited to ensure that we have a world-class regulatory presence wherever we do business.”
 
Mr. Wintemute continued, “As we welcome Cindy, we also take this opportunity to commend and thank Ian Chart for the excellent work he has done for us over the past 18 years. Ian has successfully maintained and defended one of the most active product portfolios in the industry in increasingly challenging conditions and has done so with poise. He has built an impeccable reputation and excellent rapport with enforcement agencies, is beloved by our own personnel, and has consistently provided sage advice to our management team. We wish Ian the best in his imminent retirement and look forward to Cindy continuing this legacy of excellence in regulatory matters.”