Elemental Enzymes, a St. Louis company that develops and markets sustainable solutions to aid in crop nutrient absorption and immune response, has added Jagresh Rana as its new chief commercial officer.

Most recently, Jagresh worked as senior vice president of global business development & licensing for Bayer Crop Science, after serving in previous leadership positions in marketing and product management and Global Strategy for the company. Prior to that, he spent a number of years with Monsanto in India, Singapore, Hungary and St. Louis. Before moving to Bayer in 2018 his last role in Monsanto was Asia-Africa Regional Lead.

As Elemental’s CCO, Jagresh will use his more than 25 years of global experience in marketing, sales, strategy and managing business to align Elemental Enzymes’ commercial and business strategies to drive company growth and expansion. He will also work closely with the CEO to provide insight into the customer’s point of view and set the vision for the future.

“We’re really excited about welcoming Jagresh and getting his perspective on Elemental’s commercial strategy,” said CEO and co-founder Brian Thompson, Ph.D. “We are starting to grow rapidly, including in overseas markets, and his global experience of working in markets around the world will help us to do that thoughtfully.”

Jagresh earned his MBA with specialization in agriculture from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and also holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences. He grew up on a smallholder family farm in rural India, where he first developed his passion for agriculture. Jagresh decided early in his career that he wanted to empower farmers to nourish, fuel and clothe the world more sustainably. His influence in the ag industry has created positive social, economic and environmental impacts.