70 / SEEDWORLD.COM FEBRUARY 2019 I’m honored to join and lead the Bayer SeedGrowth business. I have no doubt that it is one of the most exciting and vital areas to shape future agricultural success and sustainability, especially in the light of the new Bayer Crop Science company. The first steps I´d like to take in my new role are to spend time in the field and market place, connect with customers, listen to their perspective, understand their needs and later on, make sure that it is reflected in everything we do. SW: When you survey the landscape of the seed treatment industry, what three things catch your eye? BS: Seed-applied technologies represent: 1. An amazing field for innovation in both chemistry and biologics for bio- control or crop efficiency. 2. A very well-articulated value chain with a high degree of partnership and collaboration to offer the best solutions for farmers. 3. A remarkable tool to foster sustainability in agriculture, despite increased regulatory scrutiny, especially in the EU. SW: What are your top goals for the year ahead? BS: Our ambition is clearly to regain market leadership in seed-applied technologies. To stay ahead of the game, we invest heavily in research and development, and one of our newest research areas is crop efficiency. We push boundaries in crop efficiency through improved root health, nutrient uptake, and water management — all to the benefit of growing seed investments. I am convinced that we can show some new developments in the next few years. SW: What do you think the industry needs to do as a whole to advance? BS: As an industry, we need to engage more and intensify our communication with the society in general, and be constantly explaining the benefits of seed treatment and how we contribute to producing enough healthy and affordable food and fiber. I see this as one of the major tasks and a great opportunity — connect and communicate our deep commitment for sustainability, as well as deepen our dialogue with society. For me, it´s all about providing innovation, fostering collaboration and promoting sustain- ability. That’s why industry events, such as the International Seed Federation’s World Seed Congress, the European Seed Association’s annual meeting or the American Seed Trade Association’s seed expo, remain important platforms for exchanging knowledge and establishing dialogue with key players throughout the value chain. SW: What one thing are you most excited about? BS: Personally, I am passionate about innovation in general and seed-applied technologies, and believe that we can create high value for farmers by designing, testing and implementing suitable tailored solutions. We rely on our field footprint, high proximity to the growers and our unprecedented research and development investments and capabilities in the industry to deliver powerful and tailored solutions for all farmers. This excites me! SW 763.631.6020 ProAgLogistics.com 763.631.6020 ProAgLogistics.com Your exclusive seed logistics partner. Personalized service for all of your seed logistics needs. Contact us today for your custom quote. Around the corner or around the world