Kincannon & Reed Recruits President and CEO for CropLife America
March 19, 2024 – Executive recruitment firm Kincannon & Reed, which exclusively focuses on food, agribusiness, and the related life sciences, has assisted in the recruitment of Alexandra Dunn as the new president and CEO of CropLife America in Arlington, VA. Heinrich Gugger, Stephen Coffey, Melissa Karman, Sally Day, and Jon Leafstedt led the assignment.
“The CropLife America board of directors is excited to announce Alex Dunn as our next CEO,” said Andy Lee, chairman of the board and president and CEO, Valent North America. “As CropLife America members continue to innovate to address challenges faced by growers, health officials, and consumers, Alex’s experience will provide guidance and leadership in both the policy and regulatory spaces. We look forward to working with her as she steps into this role.”
Ms. Dunn most recently served as a partner in the environmental, safety, and incident response group at the international law firm of Baker Botts, in its Washington, D.C., office. While at Baker Botts, Alex worked on pesticide issues, chemical regulation, water quality, enforcement, litigation, environmental justice, and community engagement. In 2019, with bi-partisan support, she was confirmed with unanimous consent by the U.S. Senate, to serve as assistant administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention from 2019 – 2021.
As president and CEO of CropLife America, Ms. Dunn will play an important role in maintaining and enhancing existing member relationships. “I am truly honored to be named president and CEO of CropLife America,” said Ms. Dunn. “CropLife America’s leadership, members, and staff are dedicated to sustainability, innovation, science, and environmental and human health protection. Working with them will be a privilege. As it has been for more than 90 years, CropLife America will be at the center of key agricultural conversations. I cannot think of a better moment than the present to work towards agricultural solutions that benefit the public and the planet.”
CropLife America is the national trade association that represents the manufacturers, formulators and distributors of pesticides. The organization advocates for and promotes the responsible use of innovative, safe and environmentally sound crop protection products (including herbicides, fungicides and insecticides) that are essential in the production of food, fiber and renewable or alternative fuels.
Founded in 1981, Kincannon & Reed serves clients throughout the world from locations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The firm is based in Arlington, VA. Kincannon & Reed’s mission is: “We recruit leaders for organizations that feed the world and keep it healthy.”
Proven Search Consultants
Dr. Gugger is based in the agriculture and bioscience hub of Research Triangle Park, NC. Involved in hundreds of executive placements across the industry since joining Kincannon & Reed in 2012, he brings his broad network and executive experience from his roles as CEO in several start-up opportunities, including serving as CEO of Paradigm Genetics and his role as president of Syngenta Crop Protection, to each search engagement.
Located in Saratoga, NY, Mr. Coffey joined Kincannon & Reed after 15 years of search experience working with Fortune 100 clients on a global scale. As a member of a two-person team, he executed senior information technology searches for one of the Big Three automotive manufacturers. He was also responsible for relationship management with the global talent acquisition lead for a Fortune 50 conglomerate, filling executive-level roles across life sciences, test and measurement, and corporate units.
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Working from Northbrook, IL, Ms. Karman brings more than 20 years of experience to each engagement. She has researched, sourced, and developed candidates for hundreds of successful engagements. Clients have ranged from Fortune 500, mid-size and small public and private companies in industries such as manufacturing, food manufacturing, life sciences/biotech, financial services, insurance, consulting, healthcare payers and providers, not-for-profits including universities and colleges, entertainment, and distribution.
Based in Cleveland, OH, Ms. Day is part of the firm’s food and ingredients team. Prior to joining Kincannon & Reed, Ms. Day was vice president, corporate purchasing for the J.M. Smucker Co. Her tenure at J.M. Smucker also included responsibility for the leadership and organizational development strategy, establishing foundational elements of talent management, organization development, and leadership and employee development. Previous to her role at J.M. Smucker, Ms. Day held leadership positions with Bestfoods, a division of Unilever.
Mr. Leafstedt, managing partner, draws on his expertise in agriculture and biotechnology to help associations, cooperatives, and early-stage companies define their talent needs and recruit senior leadership. Passionate about connecting people with the right roles and organizations, he has led more than 200 searches in his tenure with Kincannon & Reed. Mr. Leafstedt is located in Des Moines, IA.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
