Viterra Inc. on Sept. 9 said it is initiating a change to its legal services function in recognition of its global market position. As a result, Ray Dean, senior vice president, general counsel/corporate secretary, will step down, effective immediately, to pursue other interests. Viterra will undertake a global search for a new leader.
In addition, Viterra will formally integrate its financial products group within Agri-Products under the leadership of Doug Wonnacott, Agri-Products senior vice president. Financial products will become an integrated product line within the company’s service offering to Western Canadian grain and livestock producers, complementing its portfolio of seed, fertilizer, crop protection products, equipment, feed, and forage product offerings. This integration will result in the elimination of the senior vice president of financial products position previously held by George Prosk.
“Over the past several months, we as a management team have been challenging ourselves and our teams to enhance our model of operational excellence based on our long-standing principles of efficiency, integration, growth, and value creation. These changes support those principles. I would like to thank Mr. Prosk and Mr. Dean for their important contributions to Viterra over the years and wish them well as they pursue their next career opportunity,” said Mayo Schmidt, Viterra president and CEO.
CF Industries Holdings Inc. announced that Anthony Nocchiero, senior vice president and chief financial officer, will retire from the company as of Sept. 20, 2010. “Tony Nocchiero has made very significant contributions to CF Industries during his tenure as CFO, particularly with respect to the acquisition of Terra Industries, the related major financing transactions, and the subsequent integration of the two companies,” said Stephen Wilson, CF chairman and CEO. “Tony intends to spend more time with his family and focus his professional energy on opportunities for board service. I appreciate his dedication to CF Industries, and we all wish him and his family the best in the coming years.” CF has initiated a search that will consider both internal and external candidates for the CFO position. Wilson, who served as CF’s CFO from 1991 to 2003, commented further that, “The integration with Terra is proceeding very well, and business prospects for the fall and next spring are excellent. We expect our strong industry position to help us retain a highly qualified individual to succeed Tony.”
Yoel Nitzani joined Haifa Chemicals as commercial manager in the marketing and sales department. He will be responsible for the management of sales for the Haifa group and will directly supervise the sales offices in Southern Europe, Latin America, and Africa. He will report to the vice president of marketing and sales, and is a member of the Haifa broadened management team. Nitzani has several years of specialty fertilizer experience. During the past 15 years, he has served as general manager of Gat Fertilquidos (a liquid fertilizer company in Southern Spain) and Impronta (specialty fertilizers in Italy), and managing director of FCPCerea (Fertilizer Co. of Northern Italy). He holds a Master’s degree in soil science and an MBA.
The Fertilizer Institute has appointed Lara Beal Moody to the new position of director of stewardship programs. Prior to joining TFI, Moody served as the program manager for the Agricultural Waste Management Laboratory at Iowa State University (ISU). In her position with TFI, Moody will be responsible for developing and directing the Institute’s stakeholder outreach programs to promote nutrient stewardship at the field level. Specifically, she will promote the 4R Nutrient Stewardship System, which promotes the use of the right nutrient source at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place.
At ISU, Moody managed a 25-member team that prepared information for research reports, journals, conferences, newsletters, and extension media; presented before local, regional, national, and international meetings; and coordinated and managed educational meetings, field days, and conferences for industry stakeholders while interacting with U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency personnel, as well as representatives of state agencies and commodity group leaders. Moody is a registered professional engineer, having received a BS in agricultural engineering and an MS in biosystems engineering from the University of Tennessee.