Mike Graham will succeed Robert Reiter, who is retiring after 27 years with the company
Bayer has announced that Dr Mike Graham has been appointed as the new head of research and development (R&D) for its Crop Science division, where he will also serve as a member of the leadership team.
He will succeed Dr Robert Reiter, who has decided to retire after 27 years with the company and 34 years in the industry.
In his current role, Graham leads the company’s plant breeding organisation and has “profound expertise” in R&D and agriculture, Bayer outlined.
The change will become effective on 15 April 2025.
Reiter joined the company in 1998, and helped revolutionise breeding through the use of genotypic selection and led the development of an industry-leading genotyping platform.
Over the years, he has held various senior roles in R&D, helping to further shape Bayer’s ”industry-leading seed and trait capabilities”.
After serving as head of global supply chain, he became head of R&D for the Crop Science division in 2018.
“Throughout his career, Bob has been a strong advocate for agricultural innovation,” said Rodrigo Santos, member of the board of Bayer AG and president of the company’s Crop Science division.
”He has truly advanced and supported farmers’ ability to produce more while saving natural resources at the same time.
”I want to express my sincere appreciation to Bob for his tremendous contribution and commitment to the company,” Santos outlined. “I wish Bob all the best for his well-deserved retirement. He will be missed not only by the R&D organisation, but by all Crop Science colleagues around the world.”
According to Bayer, Reiter will actively support his successor in taking over his new responsibilities to ensure a smooth transition.
Graham joined the company in 1996, and has been ”deeply involved” in the design and development of next-generation seed, traits and customer-focused solutions.
Most recently, he led Bayer’s global plant breeding organisation, driving the advancement of the ”industry-leading” breeding pipeline by reimagining breeding and technical methodologies as well as spearheading the digital evolution.
“I am really excited to work together with Mike as new head of R&D,” said Santos. ”He will be contributing to our success with his deep industry knowledge, profound expertise in R&D, diverse experiences and his intimate understanding of what farmers really need.
”He has consistently demonstrated visionary ways in delivering new innovation to customers around the world.”
