Gamaya appoints Rob Neill, ex-senior executive at Syngenta, as Chairman
Gamaya, a Swiss crop intelligence AgTech startup, has appointed a new Chairman — Rob Neill, the recently retired, former Global Head of Marketing of Syngenta Crop Protection. The appointment reflects the company’s commitment to bring more industry expertise to the organization.
Rob Neill brings more than 30 years of agribusiness experience to Gamaya. Building on his passions for agriculture, innovation and marketing he helped shape Syngenta’s growth strategies and ways of working while leading business teams in Canada, the UK, Brazil, USA, and Switzerland. He holds an MBA from York University in Canada and a BS in agriculture from the University of Guelph.
Yosef Akhtman, CEO of Gamaya, commented “Rob is a highly successful and accomplished senior executive, and I am delighted to have him at Gamaya. His knowledge of global agriculture markets, digital agriculture and skills in business strategy, marketing and portfolio management will be a tremendous asset for Gamaya”.
At Gamaya Mr. Neill will be actively working with the management team and the Board of Directors to shape the company’s strategy, mitigate risk and align resources.
“I’ve been at the forefront of innovation in crop protection throughout my career.” said Mr. Neill. “Digital technologies are the next wave of innovation and I believe they will truly transform food production worldwide. I am delighted to join Gamaya at such a pivotal time, and I look forward to helping the company take its place among the global leaders in this exciting new field.”
Gamaya, established in 2015, develops digital imaging tools to help farmers increase crop production efficiency and sustainability. It has deep know-how in hyperspectral imaging and artificial intelligence. It launched its first commercial activities in sugarcane and tobacco in Brazil in 2018 and is currently developing high-value crop-specific solutions in other crops, including soybean and corn, in multiple countries. It primarily works through partners to bring its technology to the market. Gamaya’s portfolio of digital agronomy solutions includes early alerts for weeds and pests, and applications to optimize planting, the application of macronutrients and more. In June 2019 it completed its Series B financing round, successfully raising $12m to fund further development and growth.
