The Future of Agriculture CEOs: Archetypes & Strategies for Recruiting Top Leaders to the Sector

Agriculture Technology (AgTech) solutions remain crucial to the future of food—elevating crop yields, optimizing resource utilization, refining harvest planning, and promoting sustainable food production. AgTech is widely recognized as pivotal to sustainable farming, with the industry poised to reach revenues of $18 billion in 2024.

Yet from fertilizers to ingredients, leaders in the agriculture sector continue to face ongoing challenges across climate change, geopolitical tensions, water and energy shortages, potential disruptions from emerging technologies (such as biologicals), rising crop input costs, and inefficient production methods.

To help agriculture organizations better understand the leadership profiles of those helming their companies through these challenges, Russell Reynolds Associates conducted a comprehensive analysis of the backgrounds, career trajectories, and tenures of 28 industry leaders at both large-capital publicly traded and privately-held companies from around the world, learning that:

1. Prior CEO experience is not required to reach the top: Of the 28 agriculture CEOs analyzed, approximately 16 were first-time CEOs, indicating that a significant portion of leaders in this sector are stepping into the role for the first time.

2. Average tenure is high: Agriculture CEOs typically remain in their roles for over five years, and 17 out of 28 leaders were promoted from within their current organization.

3. Multifunctional experience is critical: Across the CEOs we analyzed, 23 out of 28 transitioned into the agriculture sector from other industries, with chemicals and pharmaceuticals being the most prominent pipelines of this leadership talent. Half of these CEOs--14 out of 28--have backgrounds in operations, supply chain, and strategy, with many also bringing experience in both marketing and technology.

Building on these trends, RRA identified four CEO archetypes for success in the agriculture industry. Read on to learn more about the agriculture CEO route-to-the top, how that translates into CEO archetypes, and what organizations can do to recruit and develop top leaders to the sector.

Snapshot: Agriculture CEOs Route-to-the-Top

_{Source: RRA proprietary analysis of 28 global agriculture CEOs, 2024.}

A significant portion (16 out of 28) of agriculture leaders are first-time CEOs, and even more (17 out of 28) were appointed internally, highlighting a preference for internal talent within the industry. Among these emerging leaders, a majority have operational backgrounds, notably as former COOs (32%). In terms of diversity, the industry currently faces challenges, with women holding only 3 of the 28 CEO roles, and a mere 5 out of 28 leaders hailing from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

The abundance of CEOs with a background in the chemicals industry highlights the intersection of agriculture and chemistry within the modern agricultural landscape. The varied representation from different industries further emphasizes that successful leadership in the agriculture space demands a blending of skills from diverse fields.

The Established CEO: Established CEOs constitute 12 out of the 28 agriculture leaders studied. These leaders bring a wealth of previous leadership experience to their roles, as well as a strong track record in driving success.

Potential Strengths:
- Seasoned leadership skills that enable immediate impact.
- Wealth of industry knowledge.
- Proven track record of driving success and implementing impactful changes.

Potential Weaknesses:
- May rely heavily on past strategies that may not align with future needs.
- Potential resistance to adopting innovative approaches.
- Could face challenges adapting to new industry dynamics if too focused on past successes.

The Operations Expert: About one-third of these agriculture CEOs moved into their roles from chief operating officer positions, bringing valuable experience in streamlining processes to improve efficiency and productivity across the supply chain.

Potential Strengths:
- Extensive experience in operations, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.
- Long tenure (averaging 19 years in role, compared to the sample average of ~5 years), indicating stability and a deep understanding of company processes.
- Strong ability to manage complex supply chain and distribution networks.

Potential Weaknesses:
- May prioritize operational efficiency over strategic innovation.
- Potential difficulty in shifting focus from day-to-day operations to long-term strategic planning.
- Could struggle with broader strategic vision beyond operational improvements.

The General Manager: About 10 out of 28 of agriculture CEOs have experience as presidents or general managers. These leaders often transition from different industries, highlighting their adaptability and the diverse perspectives these leaders bring.

Potential Strengths:
- Ability to bring fresh perspectives from varied industries.
- Experience in taking on greater responsibility, showcasing high growth potential.
- Strong adaptability to new industry challenges.

Potential Weaknesses:
- May initially lack industry-specific knowledge.
- Potentially steep learning curve in aligning with agriculture-specific challenges.
- Risk of underestimating the nuances of the agricultural sector.

The Tech-First Leader: With 12 out of 28 agriculture CEOs bringing experience in technological functions, this archetype is becoming increasingly more prominent—especially as AI and technology become central to the agriculture industry.

Potential Strengths:
- Forward-thinking approach to integrating technology and AI.
- Ability to drive innovation and technological advancements within the company.
- Preparedness for future industry shifts towards a digital transformation.

Potential Weaknesses:
- Despite having some tech experience, few current agriculture CEOs bring deep technical acumen, indicating a potential gap in industry adoption.
- May face challenges in balancing technological focus with traditional agricultural practices.
- Risk of overemphasizing technology at the expense of other critical business functions.

_{Source: RRA proprietary analysis of 28 global agriculture CEOs, 2024.}

Strategies for agriculture organizations looking to recruit and develop top CEOs

The agriculture sector is navigating an increasingly complex landscape shaped by climate change, geopolitical tensions, and resource constraints. To optimize CEO pipelines across the sector, organizations should consider the following actions:

Encouraging internal talent development: Companies should prioritize internal talent development programs to cultivate future leaders and ensure smooth CEO transitions. By creating leadership succession pipelines that expose individuals to diverse roles, companies can enhance adaptability and problem-solving skills, ensuring leadership continuity and a deeper understanding of sector complexities. In today's high-stakes environment, identifying leaders who can anticipate change and maintain stability is crucial.

To address this, Russell Reynolds Associates developed the Leadership Portrait model, which assesses an executive's readiness for immediate challenges and potential for future growth. This comprehensive approach integrates experience, competencies, and the ability to realize potential, identifying leaders capable of navigating constant change and driving transformation.

Diversifying across the organization: The agriculture sector faces a notable challenge in achieving gender and ethnic diversity in leadership roles. Currently, only 3 out of 28 CEOs are women, and just 5 out of 28 leaders come from ethnically diverse backgrounds. This disparity is concerning, given the well-documented organizational benefits that diverse leadership teams bring, such as enhanced innovation and deeper market insights that stem from a broad array of perspectives.

The scarcity of Black, Hispanic/Latino, and women leaders in key positions like COO, CFO, and P&L leadership—which are critical pathways to the CEO role—results in a homogeneous and less dynamic succession pipeline.

To tackle these issues, organizations must develop a comprehensive understanding of their internal talent pipelines, focusing on potential, rather than solely on experience. This involves creating deliberate C-suite development programs and actively addressing unconscious bias in hiring, promotion, and succession planning.

Embracing cross-sector leadership: The diverse backgrounds of agriculture CEOs underscore the importance of a versatile skill set. A significant majority, 23 out of 28 agriculture CEOs, have transitioned from different industries, with the most common sectors being chemicals (35%) and pharmaceuticals (11%). This highlights the potential benefits of recruiting leaders from outside the current sector in order to drive transformative change.

Since 2018, approximately 67% of leaders placed by Russell Reynolds Associates in key industrial positions have come from different industries, a trend expected to persist. Over half of our consultants and senior researchers consider hiring "from the outside" increasingly vital for industrial companies.

There is a strong demand for external talent across all functions, driven by the need for digitization and technical expertise from outside the industrial sector. Industrial board members are also sourced from diverse industries to cover various board functions. For industry-agnostic roles, such as HR and finance, talent is drawn from a wide range of sectors.

To foster resilient leadership, organizations should prioritize internal talent development, create diverse leadership pipelines that expose individuals to multi-level systems thinking, address the significant gender and ethnic diversity gaps within the sector, and embrace disruptive innovation. Embracing these strategies enhances leadership effectiveness, driving the agriculture sector toward a more sustainable and inclusive future.

Authors

Leah Christianson is a member of Russell Reynolds Associates’ Center for Leadership Insight. She is based in San Francisco.
Gautham Parthasarathy leads Russell Reynolds Associates’ Ingredients & Agrochemicals practice. He is based in San Francisco.
Amanda Johnson is a member of the Russell Reynolds Associates’ Industrial and Natural Resources practice. She is based in Dallas.
Kunal Shekhar is a member of the Russell Reynolds Associates Data Services team. He is based in India.