Ken Seitz, who was previously named interim CEO of Nutrien in January, has now been named the permanent CEO and president of the fertilizer company, an Aug. 8 news release said. He will will also join the Nutrien board of directors.
“Nutrien’s record performance and disciplined execution of strategy during some of the most turbulent times we have seen globally underscore the strength of Ken Seitz’s leadership,” Russ Girling, chair of the Nutrien board of directors, said in the release. “Mr. Seitz demonstrated proven performance in an interim role this year receiving an extensive range of positive feedback from our stakeholders. The board has every confidence Mr. Seitz is the right leader to drive our strategy forward.”
The announcement comes following a seven-month global search which included internal and external candidates led by the board and supported by an executive recruitment firm with a dedicated agriculture and chemical practice, the release noted.
Seitz has served as interim CEO since January 2022, after Mayo Schmidt resigned. Under Seitz’s leadership, Nutrien has achieved record results, delivered bold actions in response to changes in agricultural markets, advanced the organization’s sustainability strategy and brought together key parties to help navigate unprecedented global food security challenges, the release said.