Biographies

Lou Buice
Golden Acres Genetics, Ltd.
Lou Buice is the president and co-founder of Golden Acres Genetics, Ltd. In addition to serving as president of Golden Acres Genetics, his 19 years of experience in the seed industry include positions as corn product manager and southern area business development manager for Mycogen Seeds. By revitalizing the flagship Golden Acres brand of high-quality, performance-proven corn and sorghum seed in 1999, Buice and co-founder Bernard Selensky were able to connect the respected 50-year-old brand with a new mission—to professionally serve family farmers with custom seed solutions that cultivate independence and success. In his spare time, Buice enjoys collecting and restoring vintage farm tractors built between 1910 and 1920.
Matthias Haug
Bayer CropScience
Matthias Haug was born on May, 8, 1961 in Cologne. He joined Bayer AG in 1984, where he held a number of positions in the former Crop Protection Business Group. In 1995 he took charge of the Crop Protection Business Unit in Portugal. In 1998 he returned to headquarters in Monheim, Germany, as Regional Head Eastern Europe. From 2001 to 2007, Matthias Haug was responsible for the company’s crop protection business in Italy. In April 2007, he was named head of region Latin America/Africa/Middle East within the Corporate Center “Regional Coordination” at Bayer AG in Leverkusen, Germany. In November 2009, he moved to Columbia to serve as senior Bayer representative for Andean Countries and head of Andean Countries within the Bayer CropScience business unit Crop Protection Latin America. Since December 2011, Matthias Haug is global head of SeedGrowth within the Business Management of Bayer CropScience.
Karsten Neuffer
Syngenta
Karsten Neuffer has been head of Seedcare for Syngenta since 2012. Prior to this, he held the roles of global head of cereals and head of cereals for EAME from 2009-2012 and head of strategy, planning and new business development for the company from 2006 to 2009. Neuffer joined Syngenta from McKinsey, where he was a consultant for seven years and a member of the leadership team of the Global Chemical Practice. Karsten holds a Master of Science in industrial engineering from the University of Karlsruhe and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Neuffer will succeed Antonio Carlos as Regional Director for Latin America for Syngenta and will relocate to São Paulo, Brazil, in the first quarter of 2014.
Craig Newman
AgReliant Genetics
Craig Newman is president and CEO of AgReliant Genetics, the third-largest corn seed company in the United States. Prior to being named CEO in 2012, Newman served as the company’s vice president of sales and marketing since its inception in 2000. He began his career in the seed business with Akin Seed Company in St. Francisville, Ill. He held various positions with Akin Seed, Callahan Seeds and AgriGold Hybrids, including general manager, before the company became a division of AgReliant Genetics in 2000. Newman is a graduate of Purdue University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in agribusiness management. He is currently the chairman of the American Seed Trade Association board of directors. Newman had previously served on ASTA’s board of directors as the second, then first, vice chair and as the Central Region vice president representing the interests of members in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. He has also served as president of the Illinois Seed Dealers Association.
Anton van Doornmalen
Rijk Zwaan Group
Anton van Doornmalen is chairman of the advisory board and co-owner of Rijk Zwaan Group. Van Doornmalen started working at the subsidiary Rijk Zwaan Welver in Germany in 1973, working 10 years as managing director of this subsidiary. In 1985, he moved to the head office in De Lier and worked as managing director until 2009, at which time he gave the operational responsibility to Marco van Leeuwen. Since 2009, van Doornmalen has been active as chairman of the advisory board of Rijk Zwaan and represents the company in various national and international branch organizations and projects.
Garlich von Essen
European Seed Association
Garlich von Essen is secretary-general of the European Seed Association. He is responsible for the overall management of ESA and its staff, for the development of strategic policy campaigns, and for the positioning of Europe’s seed industry. He advises the ESA board and executive committee and has specific responsibility for the Committee on Legislative and Regulatory Affairs and the related Working Group on Biotechnology. Von Essen is also a member of the European Commission’s Stakeholder Dialogue Group, advising on public consultation mechanisms and tools. He studied agriculture and economics at the University of Göttingen, graduating in 1990. He started his professional career in the European Commission’s Directorate General for Agriculture before taking a scholarship at the College of Europe in Bruges, graduating in administrative and political sciences. From 1994 to 1999 he worked in the European Parliament where, next to agricultural and structural policy, he worked specifically on the EU’s research and development policy and funding instruments. Joining the European seed industry in 1999 as director public affairs, he became secretary-general of ESA in 2004.