Bayer announces changes in executive leadership team of Crop Science division

GERMANY – Bayer has announced changes to its Crop Science division’s leadership team, with Kelly Gast taking over as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from Michael A. Schulz on April 1, 2022.

Schulz had been CFO of Bayer’s Crop Science division for over a decade and decided to leave the company for personal reasons after 16 years. Gast is currently the CFO of Bayer’s US operations.

“Kelly has tremendous experience in finance and a true passion for the agricultural sector. She will play a key role in driving our performance and business transformation,” said Rodrigo Santos, Member of the Board of Bayer AG and President of the company’s Crop Science division.

“We would like to thank Michael for his many years of service to Bayer, and in particular to Crop Science, where he will leave a lasting legacy both in terms of a strong finance team and a very well positioned Crop Science business.”

Separately, Sara Boettiger, SVP, Head of Global Sustainability & Public Affairs, also expressed her desire to leave the organization.

She has made significant contributions to the Crop Science division at Bayer by driving sustainability and public affairs agendas.

Bayer will take advantage of this opportunity to further embed sustainability and public engagement at the heart of its Crop Science divisional roadmap by combining the sustainability and public affairs teams with the strategy team, effective March 1, 2022, and led by Frank Terhorst, employee value proposition (EVP), Strategy & Sustainability.

Kelly Gast’s profile

Kelly S. Gast is a seasoned finance executive with international business experience. Gast previously served as Bayer’s U.S. Chief Financial Officer (CFO), where he oversaw all financial and administrative operations for the company’s U.S. businesses, which generated US$14.5 billion in annual revenue.

She provided direction and financial oversight to shape and execute business strategy and development in the United States.

Gast held responsibility for finance, tax, treasury, accounting, controlling, commercial support, procurement, risk management, facility/office management, security, real estate and post-merger integration.

Gast previously served as the Vice President of Commercial Finance at Monsanto Company, where she oversaw an international team of 600 people and over US$13 billion in annual revenue.

She collaborated closely with other senior leadership team members on forecasting, budgeting, and long-term planning for Monsanto’s commercial organization.

Gast joined Monsanto in 1995 and has held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility, including Assistant Controller, U.S. Strategic Accounts Lead, and finance lead for divisions such as Crop Protection, U.S. Commercial, Technology, and Human Resources.