Born and raised in a rural community of Macomb, Ill., Jordan Cremer, one of Seed World’s Top 10 Next Generation Leaders, credits his upbringing as the foundation of his interest in agriculture. But now, as channel marketing manager for U.S. Seeds at BASF, his passion has developed into a career as well.
Receiving his undergraduate degree in Supply Chain and Finance from Western Illinois, Cremer also recently completed his MBA in Finance at UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. His career, though, began at Monsanto in 2012 — and he’s spent his entire professional career in the seed industry.
“The tangible nature of the seed industry makes it unique,” he says. “The products we deliver to growers set the foundation for the success of their operations, and they rely heavily on the recommendations of industry experts. There is a significant amount of trust that must be built to help farmers make the right decisions and ultimately provide critical resources to consumers.”
Though, his experiences have been diverse.
“I’ve spent time working in various functions, including global procurement, supply chain, operations, field sales and marketing,” Cremer says.
But one thing Cremer is most excited about is the future of the industry in the U.S — especially when it comes to new products coming to market.
“We have immense competition both on the research and the commercial side, with companies across the country striving to bring new innovations to the retail channel and ultimately to customers,” he says. “Our industry faces an ever-evolving set of challenges and issues which creates a fast-paced environment for providing new innovative solutions.”
