Karsten Neuffer serves as RiceTec’s CEO, a position he assumed upon joining the company in August 2022. Karsten is a seasoned executive with broad international experience, having lived and worked on three continents. His leadership at RiceTec highlights his dedication to driving innovation and creating value for all stakeholders.

Karsten began his career with McKinsey before joining Syngenta in 2006, where he held various strategic and operational leadership positions, including responsibilities for seed businesses and as Regional Director of LATAM, with full P&L responsibility for the region. In 2018 he joined Indigo as senior executive, first as COO International, where he successfully developed and built Indigo’s international business, and subsequently as Global Chief Commercial Officer.

Karsten holds an M.S. in Industrial Engineering and Management Science from the University of Karlsruhe, Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. His academic achievements, combined with his firsthand industry experience, have equipped him with a unique perspective on driving business success in dynamic environments.

Karsten’s journey is characterized by an unwavering commitment to excellence. His passion for fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation is evident in his leadership style. With his strategic insights and operational expertise, he continues to drive RiceTec forward to achieve the vision of sustainable rice agriculture that creates more value for farmers, consumers, and the planet.

Jochen is RiceTec’s Chief Financial Officer and has overall responsibility for treasury, business accounting, auditing, tax management, risk management, legal and intellectual property, business governance, and business planning and reporting. Jochen joined RiceTec in 2013 as Global Controller, later assuming the role of Global Finance Director before being named CFO in 2022. He has over 20 years of International Finance experience, including 10 in the agriculture industry.

Jochen earned his Bachelor of Arts and Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Cooperative Education, Loerrach in Germany. In his spare time, Jochen enjoys traveling, playing soccer and skiing.

Van McNeely leads the US, Mercosur, and US Exports business and is operationally responsible for implementing our growth strategy across these regions. Van joined RiceTec in 1997 and was instrumental in building the company’s Technical Services Department before transitioning into sales. When RiceTec introduced the first commercial hybrid seed to the US market in 2000, Van led the team that has grown the product to be a market leader.

Van earned his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Arkansas and his Master of Science in Biology from Arkansas State University.

Amitabh Mohanty is Head of Global Research and Development and plays a pivotal role in driving forward product development, aligning research initiatives with market demands, and upholding RiceTec’s commitment to sustainability.

Before joining RiceTec, Amitabh served at Corteva Agriscience as Leader of Global Biotech Operations, Trait Discovery Operations Leader, and Program Leader, Ag Productivity, and Insect Control Traits. His contributions there were key to the success of their trait pipeline. Amitabh brings rich experience and expertise in trait discovery, technology, and product development in rice.

Dr. Mohanty holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from the Department of Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Delhi South Campus, India, and did his post-doctoral studies at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York. Dr. Amitabh is a contributor to scientific literature with numerous journal articles and patents to his name, as well as a rich history of participation in scientific conferences and symposiums.

Chakra Sankaraiah is RiceTec’s Global Chief Technology Officer. Chakra joined RiceTec in 2023 and is at the forefront of RiceTec’s digital transformation, spearheading efforts to leverage cutting-edge technologies such as predictive analytics, farm operations automation, and cloud services. Chakra has over 21 years of experience in data and digital technologies, including a wealth of experience in the ag-tech space, having led engineering and architecture for digital products at Land O’Lakes and large-scale cloud-based data management products at Cloudera.

Chakra holds an MBA in Technology and Strategy from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Business, and an Electrical Engineering degree from the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur. Additionally, he serves as a faculty member for the Center for Applied AI and is a strategic advisory member for a graduate program in software at the University of St. Thomas.

Andrei Golesteanu assumed the responsibility of Global Head of Human Resources for RiceTec in April 2023. Andrei has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources Business Partner and Talent Management roles and he joins RiceTec after serving as Senior Vice President HR at NYC Alliance, where he led the US expansion of the retail arm of the company. He previously held the position of Vice President HR for the international business at Indigo Ag, where he developed and opened new markets in Europe, Latam and Asia. Prior to that, Andrei managed the Organization Development function and the international expansion for Keurig Dr. Pepper.

Andrei graduated from the Academy of Economics in Bucharest and has a Masters degree in Global Human Resources Management from Rutgers University.

As a world pioneer in ag biotech, he spent most of his career at Monsanto, holding various global technology and business positions. David received the prestigious Innovation Prize for Agricultural Technology from the American Society of Plant Biologists and serves on several scientific advisory boards.

Richard is an experienced R&D leader with over 40 years of international experience across multiple crops. He spent more than 30 years in various scientific and strategic leadership roles at DuPont, including responsibility for establishing R&D activities in India, China, and Brazil. He recently served as Chief Technology Officer at Pivot Bio.

Robert is a globally renowned scientist, spending most of his career in the public sector across all continents, but always focused on rice and sustainability. Among his many achievements is 10 years of service as the Director General and CEO of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). He is also a board member of the Sustainable Rice Platform.