The International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) has appointed Dr. Andreas Wais as the new ISTA Secretary-General.
Wais joined Schering AG before going on to study chemistry at University of Braunschweig in Germany. Wais worked on his diploma under supervision at the Federal Research Centre for Agronomy in Braunschweig, dealing with residues of pesticides in soil.
After completing his diploma, Wais rejoined Schering AG in the analytical quality control department before joining the Institute of Radioagronomy at the Forschungszentrum Jülich, where he completed his Ph.D. in agronomy. After completing his Ph.D. at the University of Bonn, Wais became the scientific secretary of the Senate Commission on Chemicals in Agriculture of the German Research Council in Bonn as a postdoc.
In the mid-1990s, Wais joined RCC, a global contract research organization, first in the German branch, then in Switzerland, both times heading the residue and field trials department
As a result of developing a substantial number of client contacts in 2002, Wais was promoted to project leader of the newly formed Business Unit Agro. He was responsible for RCC-client relationships, including with Asia with respect to studies and regulatory affairs. In 2006, Wais was appointed to deputy head of Business Unit Agro and a year later, the Business Units Agro and Chemicals were merged under his leadership. In early 2008 Harlan/RCC implemented a new Business Unit structure as a result of the acquisition of SPL. Wais was promoted to global director of Business Unit AgroChemicals and Biocides and promoted again in June 2011 to general manager of Global Registration and Strategic Consulting.
In March 2012 Wais left Harlan to become managing director of Eurofins Regulatory AG in Switzerland.
Wais will begin his new role as ISTA Secretary General on 1 June.
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