Bayer announces new commercial leaders for Crop Science Division

Bayer announced May 18 that Brett Begemann, chief operating officer, Crop Science, will retire from his role after 38 years with the company.

Rodrigo Santos, currently head of crop science commercial operations, Latin America, will succeed Begemann and assume global responsibility for the division’s commercial organization, reporting to Liam Condon, president Crop Science and Board of Management Member at Bayer AG.

Santos’ replacement as head of commercial operations, Crop Science, Latin America, is Mauricio Rodrigues, currently head of finance, Crop Science, Latin America.

“The entire Bayer team shares their thanks and appreciation to Brett for everything that he has done throughout his long and successful career at the company, and wish him all the best in his retirement,” Condon said in a news release. “We are very pleased to name Rodrigo as Brett’s successor, as he brings extensive experience that will allow us to further strengthen our leadership positions around the world and drive sustainable growth for our customers. Rodrigo is well-known with customers in Latin America and is highly qualified, having led our fastest-growing business while successfully completing integration in a very dynamic region.”

During his tenure with the company, Begemann held several global and regional leadership positions and had responsibility for global commercial and operations teams at Monsanto prior to the acquisition by Bayer. As President and Chief Operating Officer at Monsanto Company, he led global efforts to increase manufacturing and supply chain efficiency, as well as the company’s growth agenda.

Santos, a Brazilian national, has spent over 23 years with the company and has led the Latin American Crop Science business for Bayer since the integration of Monsanto and Bayer in 2018. Earlier in his career, Santos worked in sales, marketing, strategy and business development roles, including a leadership role in Eastern Europe.

Santos graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz – ESALQ/USP and holds a Master of Business Administration from FGV/Ohio University.

Rodrigues, a Brazilian national, has been with the company since 1999, and has held numerous roles in Finance in Brazil, Mexico and the United States, before becoming Head of Finance, Crop Science, for Latin America. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Escola Politécnica – POLI/USP, an MBA from Insper and attended the CFO Program at the Wharton School.

The changes are effective June 8, 2021.