2014 SPEAKERS
MARCO FERRONI
Executive Director, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture Marco Ferroni is Executive Director of the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. The Foundation’s mission is to modernize agriculture and small-scale farming by the route of sustainable intensification, diversification and links to markets. Scalable solutions for farmers are the motto in six work thrusts: R&D, market-led extension, seed systems incubation, risk management, policy development and outreach. Before joining the Foundation in 2008, Dr. Ferroni held executive and advisory positions at the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank in Washington DC. Earlier in his career he worked as a finance and trade diplomat in his native Switzerland.
CATHERINE FEUILLET
Sr. Vice President Trait Research, Bayer CropScience Catherine Feuillet has headed the Trait Research Department at Bayer CropScience since July 2013. Previously she was research director and leader of the group, “Structure, Function and Evolution of the Wheat genomes,” at the INRA, Clermont-Ferrand (France). She received her Ph.D. in 1993 at the University Paul Sabatier (Toulouse, France) working on genes involved in lignification in eucalyptus. She has coordinated several large national and European grants and is one of the co-chairs of the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium. In 2009, she received the “Prix Foulon” (for integrative plant biology) from the French Academy of Sciences. She was nominated for the Legion of Honour in 2010, elected AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2011 and received the “Prix J. Dufrenoy” from the French Academy of Agriculture in 2012.
ROBERT FRALEY
2013 World Food Prize Laureate Hired by Monsanto in 1981 as a research specialist, Fraley led a plant molecular biology group that worked on developing better crops through genetic engineering—to give farmers real solutions to critical problems such as the pest and weed infestations that frequently destroyed crops. His early research built upon the discoveries of Mary-Dell Chilton and Marc Van Montagu. A breakthrough occurred when Fraley and his team isolated a bacterial marker gene and engineered it to express in plant cells. By inserting that gene into Agrobacterium, they were able to transfer an immunity trait into petunia and tobacco cells. Fraley and his team produced the first transgenic plants using the Agrobacterium transformation process.
CLAUDIA M. GARCIA
Senior Director, Global Market Access, Elanco Animal Health Claudia M. Garcia leads Global Market Access for Elanco Animal Health. As part of this new and expanded role, Claudia and her team, oversee Global Government Affairs, Food Industry & Consumer Affairs, Global Communications and Corporate Responsibility. Garcia brings 20 years of experience in Animal Health, including multiple positions within Elanco. Claudia initiated her professional career with Elanco in Mexico to later transfer to the EUA where she held positions in several functions including manufacturing, and sales & marketing at affiliate and global levels. In her two most recent assignments, Claudia served as Senior Director in Global Marketing and Area Director for Canada and Latin America.
DAVE GEBHARDT
Director, Agronomic Data and Technology, WinField Dr. Dave Gebhardt holds the position of Director, Agronomic Data & Technology for WinField, a Land O’Lakes company. Dave and his team are responsible for all data analysis and insight development from WinField’s national Answer Plot® research program. They have developed and launched the R7® Tool, an innovative technology platform that delivers variable rate crop input management insights from satellite imagery and WinField’s proprietary data. Dave is also responsible for overall development and delivery of precision ag technology and data management solutions for Land O’Lakes’ farmer members. Dave has spent over 20 years in the agriculture industry in various plant genetics, agronomy, and technology roles with companies like Coors Brewing Company, DuPont Pioneer, and GreenLeaf Genetics.
HON. DANIEL R. GLICKMAN
Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman is Vice President of the Aspen Institute and Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Congressional Program which is a non-partisan public policy education and civility building program for members of the United States Congress. Mr. Glickman served as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from March 1995 until January 2001. Before his appointment, Mr. Glickman served for 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 4th Congressional District of Kansas. He was a member of the House Agriculture Committee, the House Judiciary Committee and Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He was recently appointed by Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack as Chair of the newly created Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.
BRAM GOVAERTS
Director, Global Conservation Agricultural Program, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Dr. Bram Govaerts works at the Global Conservation Agricultural Program at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in Mexico. He was awarded the Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application for his work developing leading-edge, sustainable programs that are transforming subsistence agriculture and unsustainable farming systems in Mexico and other regions of the world into productive and sustainable production operations. He was instrumental in framing the Mexican government’s major initiative known as the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro), and, in June 2014 he assumed leadership of the entire program, with responsibility for coordinating the evolution of related projects in Latin America.
JOHN HAMRE
President and CEO, Center for Strategic and International Studies Dr. John Hamre was elected president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in January 2000 and named Pritzker Chair in December 2012. Before joining CSIS, he served as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense. Prior to holding that post, he was the Under Secretary of Defense from 1993 to 1997. As comptroller, Dr. Hamre was the principal assistant to the Secretary of Defense for the preparation, presentation, and execution of the defense budget and management improvement programs. In 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates appointed Dr. Hamre to serve as chairman of the Defense Policy Board. Before serving in the Department of Defense, Dr. Hamre worked as a professional staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Congressional Budget Office.