Feb 25, 2019

Valent USA appoints Dion McBay as vice president of sales

Walnut Creek, California-based Valent U.S.A. LLC has appointed Dion McBay as vice president, sales, effective Feb. 25.  McBay succeeds Rick Kraus, who has transitioned to a new role as national sales director, Integrated Farms and Land Management.

In his new role, McBay will be responsible for leading the sales team and directing the sales process for Valent’s products and services across North America.  He will also serve as Valent’s executive lead to the customer channel, and support the global initiatives of Valent’s parent company, Sumitomo Chemical.

McBay joins Valent from Bayer Crop Science, where he recently served as the Global Digital Platform lead.  Prior to this role, Dion had a 24-year career at Monsanto where he led the company’s Global Sustainability Development team, and held other leadership positions in global technology development, commercial sales, and marketing.

“Dion is a proven leader with significant experience in cropping systems and sustainability, and we’re pleased to welcome him to the Valent team,” said Valent U.S.A. Executive Vice President 

and Chief Operating Officer Matt Plitt.  “He is well-suited to help us lead and build upon ongoing efforts to advance sustainable agriculture, ensure we are aligned with customer priorities, and positioned for continued business growth.”

McBay holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama, Huntsville, and a Master of Business Administration from Baylor University.

Valent U.S.A. LLC develops and markets products in the United States, Canada and Mexico that advance sustainable agriculture, protect crops, enhance crop yields, improve food quality, beautify the environment and safeguard public health. 

Valent products include a well-known line of quality herbicide, insecticide, fungicide and crop enhancement products for agricultural, seed protection and professional use. Valent is a leader in marketing and sales of both traditional chemical products and also biorational products developed by its affiliate, Valent BioSciences LLC.  For more information about Valent or our full product line, please call 800-6-VALENT (682-5368) or visit valent.com.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Sumitomo Chemical is one of Japan’s leading chemical companies, offering a diverse range of products globally in the fields of petrochemicals, energy and functional materials, IT-related chemicals and materials, health and crop science products, and pharmaceuticals. The company’s consolidated net sales for fiscal year 2016 were JPY 2.0 trillion. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp/english/.