JULY 2018 GERMINATION.CA 61 sales team leadership in Canada and the U.S., driving revenue, and will also contribute to marketing and seed business strategy. She started her new role June 1 and will report directly to David Sippell, vice-president and general manager Canada. Denise has a passion for agri- culture and comes to Cibus with over 20 years of experi- ence. A graduate from the University of Saskatchewan and a professional agrologist, she has worked in all facets of agriculture from crop production, grain handling and the pedigree seed industry. Most recently she held the position of national sales manager at FP Genetics where she developed a strong track record of delivering busi- ness results in a constantly changing fast-paced growth environment. MONSANTO CEO DEPARTS AFTER CLOSING OF BAYER ACQUISITION Monsanto Company chairman and CEO Hugh Grant has left Monsanto after the closing of the acquisition of Monsanto by Bayer AG. “It has been my sincere privilege to serve as Monsanto’s CEO during this period of extraor- dinary growth and transformation within our business,” says Grant. “I’m proud of what we’ve delivered and look forward to what the future holds for this organiza- tion.” Grant has worked in agriculture his entire career, beginning with a part-time job in college in Scotland, to leading Monsanto as chairman and CEO since 2003. Over his 35-year tenure with the company, he has worked for Monsanto on three continents, managing key elements of the global business and helping to diversify the compa- ny’s products and solutions for growers. SYNGENTA CANADA HAS A NEW PRESIDENT Syngenta Canada announced the retirement of Jay Bradshaw as president and territory head for Canada, and the appointment of Trevor Heck as his successor as of June 1, 2018. Bradshaw leaves Syngenta as a highly respected leader in Canadian agriculture, who has headed the organization’s Canadian operations for almost 17 years. His career spans some 36 years, starting as a sales representative based in Saskatoon, Sask., in the early 1980s, and including progressively more senior roles with two other companies, prior to joining Syngenta Canada in October 2001. POLICY EU BANS OUTDOOR USE OF NEONICS European Union Member States’ representatives in a Standing Committee have backed a proposal by the European Commission to further restrict the use of three active substances (imidacloprid, clothianidin and thia- methoxam, known as “neonicotinoids”) for which a scien- tific review concluded that their outdoor use harms bees. Seeds treated with plant protection products contain- ing the three neonics shall not be out on the market or used, except where: 1.  The seeds are intended to be used only in perma- nent greenhouses and 2.  The resulting crop stays within a permanent greenhouse during its entire life cycle. Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis welcomed this vote, stressing that “the Commission had proposed these measures months ago, on the basis of the scientific advice from the European Food Safety Authority. Bee health remains of paramount importance for me since it concerns biodiversity, food production and the environment.” USDA WON’T REGULATE CRISPR U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued a statement providing clarification on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) oversight of plants produced through innovative new breeding techniques which include techniques called genome editing. Under its biotechnology regula- tions, USDA does not regulate or have any plans to regulate plants that could otherwise have been devel- oped through traditional breeding techniques as long as they are not C M Y CM MY CY CMY K AD for SGS BIOVISION 3.5 x 4.75in.pdf 1 12/8/2017 10:01:31 AM