The right team

Dr Christopher Richards joined the Company as Non-executive Chairman in August 2012. He became Executive Chairman in April 2015 to take on a more active role in investor relations and in developing strategy, particularly the focus on New Technology. Following the departure of Paul Schmidt in November 2016, Dr Christopher Richards became the Interim Chief Executive Officer. Dr Christopher Richards spent 20 years at Syngenta and its predecessor companies in various strategic management positions in South America, Europe and Asia. In November 2003, he was appointed COO of Arysta LifeScience, and he served as CEO from 2004 until 2010, leading Arysta LifeScience’s transformation into a global agrochemical company with sales above $1.6 billion. He also served as a director of Arysta LifeScience from 2003 to 2015. He serves on the board of directors of Origin Enterprises plc, a service provider to farmers for food production solutions, and Nanoco Group plc, a technology company carrying out research, development and commercialisation of products based on heavy metal-free quantum dots.

Michael Higgins joined the Company in May 2013 as Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee. He also serves as a member of the Remuneration Committee. He currently serves as non-executive chairman of Ebiquity plc, a leading independent marketing and media consultancy, a non-executive director of Progility plc, a project management services group, and a non-executive director of Premier Technical Services Group plc, a niche specialist services provider. Michael is also non-executive Chairman of IPSX UK Ltd, which, subject to regulatory approval, will operate the first regulated securities exchange dedicated to the IPO and secondary trading in Exchange-Traded Properties, and a non-executive director of the Quoted Companies Alliance, a non-profit organisation that champions the interests of small to mid-sized publicly traded companies. He is also an alternate member of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers on behalf of the Quoted Companies Alliance. Michael Higgins was a partner at KPMG for 10 years and subsequently served as a senior adviser at KPMG. Prior to KPMG, Michael Higgins was a director at Charterhouse Bank, worked at Saudi International Bank and qualified as an accountant with Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers).

Dr Richard Webb joined the Company in September 2013 as a Non-executive Director. In January 2015, he was appointed an Executive Director, responsible for supporting the Chief Science Officer, Dr Zhongmin Wei, as the Company was expanding its research and development capability. He leads the New Technology strategy and licensing for the business. He was previously engaged by the Company as a consultant, contracted through StepOut Ltd., a consultancy business he founded in 1995. In this capacity, between 2012 and 2014, he was instrumental in the development of the Company’s new business strategy. He previously held various positions at Imperial Chemical Industries, including responsibilities for managing laboratory discovery and field development programmes for its public health pesticide business. His doctorate, in pest biology, was from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

William Lewis joined the Company as a Non-executive Director in April 2015. He also currently serves as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee. Since June 2014, William Lewis has served as President and CEO of Summit Agro USA, LLC, a joint venture agrochemicals business between Sumitomo Corporation and ISK Biosciences. He previously held senior roles within Arysta LifeScience, Syngenta Crop Protection and Zeneca/ICI. William Lewis has also been an owner/operator of two John Deere dealerships in GA, where he improved the overall operations and value of the business, which led to the successful sale of the businesses.