Executive Committee
| Name | Age | Nationality | Function | Appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Mack1 | 47 | American | Chief Executive Officer | 2008 |
| Alejandro Aruffo3 | 48 | American/ Italian | Head of Research & Development |
2008 |
| John Atkin | 54 | British | Chief Operating Officer Crop Protection |
2000 |
| Robert Berendes | 42 | German | Head of Business Development |
2007 |
| Christoph Mäder | 48 | Swiss | Head of Legal & Taxes and Company Secretary |
2000 |
| Mark Peacock | 46 | British | Head of Global Operations | 2007 |
| Davor Pisk2 | 49 | British | Chief Operating Officer Seeds | 2008 |
| John Ramsay | 50 | British | Chief Financial Officer | 2007 |
- Michael Mack succeeded Michael Pragnell as Chief Executive Officer as of January 1, 2008
- Davor Pisk succeeded Michael Mack as Chief Operating Officer Seeds as of January 1, 2008
- Alejandro Aruffo suceeded David Lawrence as Head of Research & Development as of October 1, 2008
Under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer, the Executive Committee is responsible for the operational management of the Company. It consists of the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officers of Crop Protection and Seeds, the Chief Financial Officer, the Head of Research & Development, the Head of Global Operations, the Head of Business Development and the Head of Legal & Taxes.
Michael Mack
Chief Executive Officer.
Michael Mack was Chief Operating Officer of Seeds (2004-2007) and Head of Crop Protection, NAFTA Region (2002-2004) for Syngenta. Prior to this, he was
President of the Global Paper Division of Imerys SA, a French mining and pigments concern, from the time of its merger in 1999 with English China Clays Ltd.,
where he was Executive Vice President, Americas and Pacific Region, in addition to being an Executive Director of the Board. From 1987 to 1996 he held various
roles with Mead Corporation.
He has a degree in economics from Kalamazoo College in Michigan, studied at the University of Strasbourg, and has an MBA from Harvard University.
Alejandro Aruffo
Head of Research & Development.
Alejandro Aruffo was Vice President Global Pharmaceutical Development, Abbott (2005-2008), President Abbott Bioresearch Center and Vice President Abbott Immunology Research and Development (2003–2005), President Abbott Bioresearch Center and Divisional Vice President Abbott Immunology Research (2002-2003), Vice President Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Drug Discovery Bristol-Myers Squibb (2001-2002) and Vice President Immunology Drug Discovery Bristol-Myers Squibb (1998-2001). Prior to these roles he held various positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb.
He graduated from the University of Washington with BSc degrees in chemistry and mathematics and from Harvard University with a PhD in biophysics.
John Atkin
Chief Operating Officer Crop Protection.
John Atkin was Chief Executive Officer (1999-2000), Chief Operating Officer (1999), Head of Product Portfolio Management (1998) and Head of Insecticides and
Patron for Asia (1997-1998) of Novartis Crop Protection. Prior to 1998 he was General Manager of Sandoz Agro France (1995-1997) and Head of Sandoz Agro
Northern Europe (1993-1995).
He graduated from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne with a PhD and a BSc degree in agricultural zoology.
Robert Berendes
Head of Business Development.
Robert Berendes was Head of Diverse Field Crops (2005-2006) and Head of Strategy, Planning and M&A (2002-2005) for Syngenta. Prior to this, he was a partner
and co-leader of the European chemical practice at McKinsey & Company.
He graduated from the University of Cologne with a diploma in chemistry and has a PhD in biophysics from the Max-Planck-Institute for
Biochemistry/Technical University of Munich.
Christoph Mäder
Head of Legal & Taxes and Company Secretary.
Christoph Mäder was Head of Legal & Public Affairs of Novartis Crop Protection (1999-2000) and Senior Corporate Counsel of Novartis International AG (1992-1998).
Christoph Mäder is the Chairman of the Swiss Society of Chemical Industries and member of the Board of the Swiss Employer Association.
He graduated from Basel University Law School, and is admitted to the Bar in Switzerland.
Mark Peacock
Head of Global Operations.
Mark Peacock was previously Head of Global Supply (2003-2006) and Regional Supply Manager for Asia Pacific (2000-2003) for Syngenta. Prior to this he was a
Product Manager in Zeneca Agrochemicals and General Manager of the Electrophotography Business in Zeneca Specialties.
He has a degree in chemical engineering from Imperial College, London, and a masters in international management from McGill University in Montreal.
Davor Pisk
Chief Operating Officer Seeds.
Davor Pisk was Region Head Crop Protection – Asia Pacific (2003-2007) for Syngenta, following a number of international and country leadership roles
with the Company.
He has a BA in economics and politics from Exeter University, UK, and an MA in political science from University of California, USA.
John Ramsay
Chief Financial Officer.
John Ramsay was Group Financial Controller (2000-2007) for Syngenta. Prior to that he was Zeneca Agrochemicals Finance Head Asia Pacific (1994-1999),
Financial Controller ICI Malaysia (1990-1993) and ICI Plant Protection Regional Controller Latin America (1987-1990). Prior to joining ICI in 1984,
he worked in Audit and Tax at KPMG.
He is a Chartered Accountant and also holds an honours degree in finance and accounting.
For more information regarding the Executive Committee effective December 31, 2007, please refer to the Syngenta Corporate Governance Report 2007.
