Syngenta Group has appointed Hengde Qin as its new Chief Executive Officer, taking effect on August 1, 2026. Qin, who currently serves as the company's Chief Operating Officer and Head of Seeds, will succeed outgoing CEO Jeff Rowe. Rowe will step down on August 1 and return to the United States after a nearly decade-long tenure.

Fanrong Li, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said “The Board of Directors believes Hengde, a highly respected leader who boasts a unique combination of operational, financial and commercial experience is the best candidate for the role. We are confident that Hengde will take Syngenta Group to the next level of its sustainable development and value creation. We want to sincerely thank Jeff for his contribution and service as he led the Company through focused execution during one of the most challenging periods in modern agriculture.”

Qin will operate out of Syngenta Group’s Basel headquarters, his home base since January 2023. A member of the executive team since 2020 and a current Board Director, he has held key leadership positions spanning finance, operations, and HR. Notably, as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, and President of Syngenta Group China, Qin spearheaded a high-growth period that transformed the China business into one of the organization’s most profitable and successful divisions.

“Agriculture stands at the center of the world’s most important challenges – from feeding a growing population to improving sustainability and resilience across food systems,” said Qin. “That is why the mission of this company matters so deeply to me — we help farmers produce higher yields with lower impact. That mission has never been more important, and few companies are as well positioned as Syngenta to lead that transformation. Together with Syngenta’s talented employees around the world, we will continue to innovate, create lasting value for our customers, and deliver more breakthroughs for farmers, in every field.”

Qin previously held CEO positions at two publicly listed companies in mainland China and Hong Kong. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and management from the East China Engineering Institute of Technology, a master's degree in industrial engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and an MBA from the China Europe International Business School. 

Rowe joined Syngenta in September 2016 and was responsible for the successful turnaround of the Seeds business, which saw strong growth and a return to profitability. He then went on to lead the Crop Protection business, the company's largest business unit, before taking over as CEO.