May 2026 was a busy month for people news up and down the ag value chain with major suppliers like John Deere and Koppert making C-suite appointments, while crop protection companies Vive and Adama made several appointments.
Each month, AgNavigator rounds up the latest people news from across the agriculture industry. To submit people news, email AgNavigator’s Americas Editor, Ryan Daily, at ryan.daily@wrbm.com.
John Deere appoints CFO amid sluggish revenues
John Deere had a busy May between appointing Brent Norwood as its senior VP and CFO, effective May 1, and reporting its second quarter (Q2) 2026 earnings, which highlighted more headwinds for the green and yellow tractor maker this fiscal year.
Norwood brings to the role more than 20 years of experience, previously serving as the VP and finance director for Deere’s construction and forestry division and power systems. Additionally, he played a crucial role in the acquisition of Blue River Technology and Wirtgen, laying the foundation for Deere’s Smart Industrial strategy and Leap Ambitions.
“Brent is a proven leader with deep financial expertise, strong strategic judgment, and a disciplined approach to capital allocation. His experience and perspective will be critical as we execute our strategy and deliver long‑term value for our shareholders," said John C. May, chairman and CEO of Deere & Company in a press release.
Hans Peters takes the helm at Koppert
Crop protection company and ag supplier Koppert appointed Hans Peters to the role of CEO, effective May 1, to bolster the company’s biological growth. Previously, Peters served as the CEO of greenhouse technology company Priva and held leadership roles at Eneco, NS, and Unilever.
Effective July 1, Koppert’s executive board will consist or Peters; Martin Koppert, chief business officer; and Siger Spaans, CFO. Additionally, Henri Oosthoek and Paul Koppert will transition back to supervisory board roles.
“Koppert has built an incredible foundation over more than 50 years, combining deep biological expertise with an authentic commitment to helping growers worldwide. I see tremendous opportunities to strengthen our competitive position while staying true to our mission of making agriculture pesticide-free. The transition to biological crop protection is accelerating globally, and Koppert is uniquely positioned to lead that transformation,” Peters said in a press release.
Vive Crop Protection makes executive team appointments
Vive Crop Protection made a trio of executive leadership team changes designed to boost the commercial scaling of its products. Greg Esco was named VP of sales, previously serving as the director of sales. Additionally, Dor Kestecher will assume the role of VP of product and marketing and Jeff Lacrooy has been promoted to the CFO role.
“We are flattening our organization to move faster, bringing stronger commercial perspectives directly into our leadership team, and aligning our structure around the priorities that will define Vive’s next chapter,” said Darren Anderson, CEO of Vive, in a press release.
Adama makes two appointments in May
In other crop protection news, Adama appointed Hongsheng Liu and João Aleixo to the role of executive VP (EVP) AI production and EVP Brazil, respectively.
Having previously served in leadership roles at Sinochem and Syngenta Group China, Liu joined the company on May 1 and will spearhead the next phase of the company’s AI production and manufacturing efforts. Additionally, Liu will also serve as a board member.
Aleixo was appointed EVP Brazil on May 4, having previously served as the global managing director. He brings to the role knowledge of the Brazilian market, off-patent crop protection systems, and supply chain expertise.
