J. Erik Fyrwald has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Syngenta.

Fyrwald is the current President and CEO of Univar.  He will succeed John Ramsay, who has been acting as interim CEO since November of 2015.

“After a rigorous search, the Board concluded that Erik’s leadership and considerable experience in both agriculture and chemicals, along with his strong track record of success as a CEO made him the outstanding candidate for the role, said Michel Demare, Syngenta’s Chairman.  “Erik has demonstrated throughout his career the ability to work successfully in different environments, designing and leading strategies which resulted in impressive value creation. I look forward to working with him to create the next chapter of Syngenta’s story of success.”

Ramsay, who has served as Chief Financial Officer of Syngenta for nine years, will be working closely with Fyrwald to create a smooth transition.  Closing the ChemChina transaction is high on the priority list during this time.

Mr. Fyrwald spent 27 years at DuPont where he held positions in technology, manufacturing, sales and marketing, strategic planning and regional and global business unit leadership, including four years in Asia. In 2003, Mr. Fyrwald was named Group Vice President of DuPont Agriculture and Nutrition. Mr. Fyrwald also served as Chairman of Crop Life International for two years during this period.

In 2008, Mr. Fyrwald was named Chairman, President and CEO of Nalco. In December 2011, Nalco was acquired by EcoLab. Mr. Fyrwald was President of EcoLab until May 2012, when he was appointed CEO of Univar, a leading global distributor of chemical products and provider of related services, including agricultural inputs.

Mr. Fyrwald serves on the boards of Eli Lilly and Company (including their Science and Technology Committee) and the Society of Chemical Industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

“I have admired Syngenta from the outside for many years and am delighted, therefore, to have been chosen to lead the company in the next exciting phase of its journey,” Frywald says.   “I greatly look forward to meeting employees, leaders, customers and other stakeholders after I join in June and to working with them to achieve further success in the years to come.”