AgTech Leadership

An opportunity for a sustainable food future

Agriculture technology, or AgTech, has the potential to solve one of humanity’s most important challenges—building a sustainable global food system. The need to unlock that potential is urgent.

 

30%+

50%+

25%+

of greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture

of the world’s economic output depends on nature

population increase will see 10 billion people in the world by 2050

By using technology to rethink agriculture, we can protect the planet, enhance economic opportunities for all, and secure access to food for the world’s growing population. But capturing this opportunity will require visionary and bold leadership.

 

 

 

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Leadership will accelerate the AgTech revolution

 

Unlocking the potential of AgTech to build a sustainable food system will take a coordinated effort from a complex ecosystem — established agriculture companies, growing agriculture companies/startups, investment institutions, and global development organizations.

 

What that means for your organization will depend on where you sit in the ecosystem.

 

Agtech Slider
Established agriculture companies
Facing seismic change and disruption, leaders of established agriculture companies will need to foster organizational agility and possess a new view of their organization’s risk appetite. Early investments in emerging technologies and business propositions will give them a competitive advantage.
Case Study

A global agricultural business has a vision of a sustainable world without hunger. And it’s embedding sustainable farming, climate-friendly crops, and zero emissions across its strategy and supply chain.

Our relationship with the organization started with finding its CEO, who is still in place today. The company made the appointment after we ran deep psychometric assessments of all finalist candidates. Since then, we’ve helped set up new operating units and refreshed its board to make sure it’s fit for a decade of sustainability action.

Some notable appointments include the Chair of the Board, eight board members, and the Head of Group HR. Most recently, the company asked us to review its DE&I strategy and work to deepen inclusion and build equity.

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Growing agriculture companies
Founders and investors are starting to realize that they need leaders who understand agriculture and have had ‘mud on their boots’ to help startups operationalize, commercialize, scale, and navigate a tighter fund raising environment.
Case Study

An ingredient start-up that wants to improve human health and wellness by using machine learning to better understand plant genetics trusted us to build a leadership team to take it through Series A funding.

We supported the company’s CEO recruitment before helping them build out their leadership team with searches for a chief commercial officer and chief technology/science officer. As the leadership team came together, we conducted a full C-suite effectiveness workshop to improve its dynamic, unity, and cohesion.

We also helped the company identify its first independent board director and two strategic advisors to help with the growth strategy. It’s now on its way to a successful Series B and is on track to hit its growth milestones.

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Investors
AgTech has seen a lot of investment in recent years. But now many investors are taking a step back and deferring Series C and D funding. Investors will need to find portfolio company leaders who can quickly get to product-market fit at smaller investment rounds.
Case Study

A leader in nature-based investments that focuses on land use and forestry to achieve the transition to a sustainable future has asked us to support their growth ambitions.

With decades of experience and billions of dollars under management, the organization is looking to grow its targeted funds for forest, land, and agriculture markets, particularly in Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Its vision is to make land use and forestry investment central to a sustainable future, so its strategies support forests as nature-based solutions for rural development and sustainable wood fiber.

At this exciting moment of growth, we’ve supported the company through a series of leadership advisory services. This has included CEO and chair succession, the appointment of the Chief Financial Officer, leadership coaching, executive transition consulting, and appointing several C-suite executives and board members. Our partnership with the company is ongoing as we continue to support it through its growth.

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Global development organizations
Undergoing a shift from conservation to sustainability, global development leaders need to possess multi-level systems thinking. It will allow them to create cross-sector partnerships, work with the private sector, and translate policy into achievable and measurable action through influence.
Case Study

A global development organization that’s improving livelihoods in rural areas through investments that increase food security, build capacity for sustainable development, and deliver resilience programs trusts us to advise them on their leadership needs. For example, we recently placed a director of human resources, and have helped the organization recruit several associate vice presidents who are responsible for developing and managing operations in governance and external relations, strategy and knowledge, program management, and corporate services.

We also conducted an effectiveness review of the organization’s board that resulted in a detailed set of recommendations for improving its agenda, meetings, processes, committee structures, and reporting. We also highlighted opportunities to enhance the onboarding of new board members and improve the culture. The board then invited us to facilitate a workshop and discussion that would create a concrete action plan to deliver the recommendations.

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We partner with leaders across the AgTech ecosystem

 

The AgTech ecosystem is complex and spans the entire agriculture and food value chain. We’ve helped organizations across this landscape, from vertical farms and robotics startups to farm-management software developers and alternative protein innovators.

 

Our network of global consultants has experience in a variety of industries and disciplines, all knitted together to tackle the different demands of the AgTech transformation.

 

AgTech ecosystem Chart

 

How we identify, assess, and develop AgTech leaders

 

We understand the leadership traits that you’ll need on your AgTech journey. We know where to find the talent, how to compose and enable top teams, and what investors and potential acquirers need if they’re to believe in future success.

 

Our operating DNA allows our inter-connected experts to work seamlessly across the entire AgTech ecosystem, working together to advise the most innovative companies in the world.

 

 

 

 

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