Syngenta Group appoints Hengde Qin as global CEO

The board of directors of Syngenta Group has appointed Hengde Qin as CEO of the company. The decision was unanimous. Qin will assume the position on August 1, 2026, following a nomination and succession process.

Qin currently holds the positions of Chief Operating Officer and Head of Seeds. He will replace Jeff Rowe. Rowe will remain in his position until August 1st. After that, he will return to the United States, following nearly ten years with the company.

Fanrong Li, chairman of the board, stated that Qin possesses operational, financial, and commercial expertise. According to Li, the board considers Qin the best candidate for the position. He also expressed gratitude for Rowe's contribution, who led the company through a challenging period for agriculture.

Qin will be based in Basel, Switzerland. He has been working there since January 2023. The executive has been part of the Syngenta Group's leadership team since 2020. During this time, he has held positions in the areas of business, finance, human resources, and global operations.

Among the roles he has held, Qin served as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer of the Syngenta Group, and President of Syngenta Group China. In the Chinese operation, he led a period of growth and increased profitability. The unit became one of the company's best-performing businesses. Qin also sits on the group's board of directors.

In a statement, Qin said that agriculture occupies a central position in challenges such as feeding the population, sustainability, and the resilience of food systems. According to him, the company's mission involves helping farmers achieve higher productivity with less impact.

Qin has previously held CEO positions at two publicly traded companies in mainland China and Hong Kong. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and business administration from the East China Engineering Institute of Technology, a master's degree in industrial engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and an MBA from the China Europe International Business School.

Rowe joined Syngenta in September 2016. He led the turnaround of the seeds business, achieving growth and a return to profitability. He then headed the crop protection business, the company's largest business unit, before taking over as CEO.