Future KWS Executive Board Team is Finalized

Einbeck, Germany (November 5, 2024) - Seed specialist KWS is announcing two new Executive Board members to complete and rejuvenate the management team in 2025. 

KWS is thus setting the course for the company’s continuous and future-oriented development. In 2025, both Eva Kienle (at the end of January) and Dr. Peter Hofmann (at the end of September) will leave the Executive Board of the company as planned.

Dr. Jörn Andreas to become new Chief Financial Officer

Effective January 1, 2025, Jörn Andreas, 43, will succeed Kienle as a member of the Executive Board and take over Finance & Procurement, Controlling, Transaction Center, Legal Services & IP, Information Technology, Group Compliance Office and Group Governance & Risk Management.

Andreas was born in Southern Lower Saxony and has extensive experience as a CFO and division manager. Until September 2024, he was responsible on the Executive Board of DAX-listed company Symrise for the Scent & Care segment.

“With Mr. Andreas joining the company on January 1, 2025, we can ensure a seamless handover with Eva Kienle," explains Dr. Marie Theres Schnell, chairwoman of the KWS Supervisory Board. "We are delighted to have found a suitable successor for the central function of CFO so promptly.” 

Sebastian Talg to become Board Member for Corn, Cereals, Marketing and Communication

Sebastian Talg, 46, will be appointed to the Executive Board of KWS effective November 1, 2025. He will be responsible for Corn, Cereals, Oilseed Rape/Special Crops & Organic Seeds and Marketing & Communications.

Talg has extensive sales and marketing experience in the agricultural sector, including many years working for the agricultural machinery manufacturer Grimme, where he is currently responsible for all the sales and service companies. His appointment underscores one of the core values at KWS of further expanding its closeness to farmers across all crops.

“In Sebastian Talg, we have gained a board member who is very familiar with the demands of agriculture," says Schnell. "We are convinced, with the new Executive Board team, that we have a strong position for the future of KWS.” 

Nicolás Wielandt to assume new departmental responsibility

As part of the new Executive Board constellation, Nicolás Wielandt, currently responsible for the Corn division, will take over the Sugarbeet and Vegetables divisions from Hofmann in 2025. Hofmann’s contract will end, as agreed, on September 30, 2025.

“Nicolás Wielandt will continue his long-standing career at KWS with an expanded area of responsibility," explains Dr. Felix Büchting, spokesperson of the KWS Executive Board. "I am convinced that the combination of internal and external perspectives will help us to successfully face the many opportunities and challenges for the industry." 

About KWS

KWS is one of the world's leading plant breeding companies. Nearly 5,000 employees* in more than 70 countries generated net sales of around EUR1.68 billion in fiscal year 2023/2024. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for almost 170 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for sugarbeet, corn, cereals, vegetables, oilseed rape and sunflower. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield for farmers and plants’ resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested more than €300 million last fiscal year in research and development.

*Excluding seasonal workers

For more information: www.kws.com.