CHS Inc. has named veteran cooperative leader Lynn Foth as vice president, Business Solutions Consulting and Market Development. Foth assumes his new role on April 1. Foth is currently CHS Business Solutions director, providing management, consulting, and planning services to member companies across the CHS system. In his new role, he will be responsible for the business consulting and planning, management placement services, and education programs that CHS offers member companies. He also will lead the Business Solutions Consulting team in working with CHS business units to provide member cooperatives new, value-added options for partnering with CHS.
“We all know this is a time of tremendous, fast-paced change that affects agribusiness at every stage from the farm to the local retail level to the global marketplace,” said Lynden Johnson, senior vice president, Business Solutions. “Lynn will play a vital role in working with CHS member cooperatives as we strive to provide them with the strategic resources and options essential for long-term success in this environment.” Prior to joining CHS, Foth spent a dozen years as a cooperative general manager in central Illinois and eastern Iowa. He has been part of the regional cooperative system for more than 20 years. Now based in Pontiac, Ill., he will be relocating to CHS’s Inver Grove Heights, Minn., office. Foth holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, and has pursued master’s in business administration studies at the University of Kansas. He has been involved with a number of cooperative organizations and serves on a variety of athletic boards and volunteer committees.
Viterra Inc. announced on March 16 that Andrew Muirhead, senior vice president of business planning and development, has stepped down to pursue other interests. Muirhead joined the organization in January 2008. President and CEO Mayo Schmidt acknowledged Muirhead’s contributions to Viterra over the past three years and wished him well with his future endeavors. The company said it will fill the position in the future.
Rod Wells has been named Growmark plant food division manager, effective March 16. In his new role, Wells will assume responsibility for the operations of Growmark’s plant food division, including determining strategic direction, staff supply and product positions, pricing, price risk management, efficient operation of facilities, marketing services, customer service, and operating expense management. Wells holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois. He joined the Growmark system in 1987 as a crop specialist and has held roles including agronomy marketing manager, area sales manager, region agronomy marketing director, agronomy facility strategy and operations manager, agronomy sales manager, and most recently, director of agronomy sales and operations.