b'NEW YEAR, NEW SOLUTIONS2020 is uponTHERES A PHRASE THATing on the first selling season as a com-younger generations use when Newbined organization. But throughout the us, and differentYears comes around. New year, newplanning and integrating process, teams me, they say, stating that with the newremained committed to their customers companies andyear comes brand new ideas and newsuccess.organizations arebranding for themselves. Our first priority this year was really to Similarly to todays youth, companiesfocus on our customers, making sure we looking for neware working on putting this idea of Newdont disrupt our business while we drive year, new me into 2020. Except, insteadcollaboration between the legacy com-solutions to reachof new year, new me, the focus is onpany organizations, Gonalves says. It new year, new solutions. How can theywill take some time for the organizations the public.improve? How can they connect betterto be fully integrated, but, I truly believe with the consumer and explain the seedwere going to be transformative. Alex Martin amartin@issuesink.com industry? How can we relate the con- Besides ensuring a smooth transition, sumer to us?Gonalves says another thing on their The answer: new ideas, new solutions.mind is creating a new culture for the new Bayer. Independent Together, WorkingCulture is one of my passions, she Together says. I feel that we cannot just use exist-One company making a fresh start ising cultures, especially being two com-Bayer. In August 2018, Bayer completedpanies that come from different legacies the acquisition of Monsanto to form one is a German company and the the new Bayer Crop Science. Leticiaother is an American company. Gonalves, senior vice president and U.S.Since these two companies come Country Division head, sees the mergerfrom different backgrounds, Gonalves as a tremendous opportunity to bebelieves that a new culture will strengthen transformative in the agriculture indus- teamwork and leadership. try. The combination brought togetherWere going to define our values and Monsantos industry-leading seeds andwhat we want to stand for in the future, traits with Bayers extensive suite of cropshe says. Right now, we want that to be protection products, giving customerscentered around the customer, as well a wide range of solutions to meet theirbeing purpose driven, collaborative, risk needs. The portfolio, along with digitaltaking and able to make agile decisions.tools, allows the organization to deliverHow we define our culture gives more customized solutions to farmers.me passion, Gonalves says. We are We really need to use tailored andvery focused on strong values in Bayer more customized solutions to meet theirCrop Science, which ties to the com-needs and also help anticipate futurepanys better LIFE values. So its all about needs, she says.Leadership, Integrity, Flexibility and Bringing the Bayer Crop Science andEfficiency as a way for us to demonstrate Monsanto commercial teams togetherwho we are in everything we doin how took place over the last year. At the timewe do business, but also how we work of the close, the two organizations were ininternally and externally with our stake-their sales season; now they are embark- holders as well. 36/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2019'