Mark Herrmann
Chief Executive Officer, S&W Seed Company

Mr. Herrmann was appointed to serve as our President and Chief Executive Officer in July 2023. He previously served as President and Founder of ACUMEN LLC, a Seed Executive Consultant firm, since 2021. He is currently on the Advisory Board for EarthSence LLC, an Agricultural Robotics company based in Indianapolis, Ind. He served on the American Seed Trade Association Board from 2009 to 2020, its Executive Board from 2015 to 2020, and as Chairman in 2016/17. Mr. Herrmann also participated on the NCGA Advisory Council AIG from 2008 to 2010.

Mr. Herrmann has over 35 years of experience in all aspects of the seed industry. Most recently serving as the CEO for AgReliant Genetics LLC, from 2016 to 2020. Headquartered in Westfield, Ind. AgReliant Genetics LLC is an innovative seed company committed to delivering high-quality seed, providing exceptional service and creating consistent customer value. Created in 2000 as a joint venture between the international seed groups KWS and Limagrain, AgReliant Genetics is ranked as one of the largest field seed companies in North America. AgReliant Genetics markets corn, soybean, sorghum and alfalfa seed through three brands: AgriGold®, LG Seeds®, PRIDE Seeds®.

Before AgReliant Genetics, Mr. Herrmann spent 15 years with Monsanto in numerous roles including; Vice President North America Vegetable Seed based in Oxnard CA from 2011 to 2016, Vice President Technology Development and Licensing from 2009 to 2011, President of Corn States LLC from 2005 to 2009, Director Eastern US from 2003 to 2005 and Director Monsanto US Seed and Trait Business from 1999 to 2003, based in St Louis MO. Mr. Herrmann joined Monsanto through the acquisition of DEKALB Genetics Corporation in 1998, where he started in the seed business in 1984 as a Sales Manager and over his time with DEKALB Genetics had the opportunity to provide leadership in various roles and geographies across Sales, Marketing and Product Management. He was born and raised in Northern Illinois and holds a BS in Agronomy from Western Illinois University. Mark and his wife Rebecca live in the Indianapolis, Ind., area and have two children: a daughter, Tate; and a son, Peyton.

Vanessa Baughman
Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Baughman joined S&W as Chief Financial Officer in May 2023. She previously served as Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Finance of AgReliant Genetics, LLC, the largest North American company focused solely on seed, headquartered in Westfield, Indiana, where she served as CFO from January 2019 to March 2023. From January 2000 to January 2019, Ms. Baughman held numerous finance roles of increasing responsibility at Monsanto Company, a previously public agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation acquired by Bayer in June 2018, including as US Strategic Account, Distribution Strategy and Licensing Finance Lead, Global Commercial Crop Protection and Seed Applied Solutions Finance Lead and, most recently, NALAN Supply Chain Finance Lead from September 2017 to January 2019. Ms. Baughman received a B.S. in Accounting from University of Holy Cross and an MBA from the University of New Orleans. She has also completed the General Management Program certification at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Payne Burks, PhD
Director of Research and Development, S&W Seed Co.

Dr. Payne Burks is the Director of Research and Development at S&W Seed Co.’s facility in Lubbock, Texas. A seasoned plant breeder, Dr. Burks has extensive experience in traditional and molecular breeding, focusing on crop improvement, experimental planning, and product placement. He earned his PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and both his MS in Plant Breeding and BS in Agronomy from Texas A&M University.

Combining technical expertise with a strong foundation in research and business development, Dr. Burks drives innovation to develop resilient, high-performing seed solutions for the agricultural industry.

Brent Johnson
Vice President Sales & Marketing for Americas

Mr. Johnson is currently the VP of Sales & Marketing for the Americas. Mr. Johnson served as National Sales Director for North America when joining the organization in 2019. The sales team that Mr. Johnson led during his three years as sales director increased core crop revenue, including alfalfa and grain sorghum by 41% and 48% respectively.

Mr. Johnson has been in the seed industry for nearly 30 years. His early career was in ag retail working as a crop specialist. Mr. Johnson then served as a territory manager at Cargill in Wisconsin where he worked on the pilot and launch of brown mid rib corn silage which was the highest-priced seed corn sold at that time. In 1997, Mr. Johnson joined WL Research as the Midwest regional manager and was responsible for recruiting new distribution, providing sales training, and technical support to WL alfalfa customers including many national ag retail companies.

In 2006, Forage Genetics (Land O’Lakes) purchased WL Research and the WL alfalfa brand. Mr. Johnson continued his work with Forage Genetics and was an integral part of the Forage Genetics launch of both the Roundup Ready alfalfa and HarvXtra alfalfa traits. Mr. Johnson was involved in both piloting and launching that industry’s most expensive, most valuable trait once again. Before leaving Forage Genetics in 2018, Mr. Johnson led the U.S. commercial alfalfa team including three internal Forage Genetics brands and its private label and licensing business in the U.S.

Mr. Johnson’s depth of experience in all levels of sales and marketing in the seed industry has been a critical part of the growth success in each position he has held. Mr. Johnson is currently a member of the Western Seed Association, Midwest Forage Association and the National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance. Mr. Johnson has served as treasurer on the National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance board and has both led and participated in Washington, D.C. activities to promote the benefits of the crops he has represented over the years.

Andrea McFarlane
Global Director Human Resources

Ms. McFarlane joined S&W Seed Company in November 2019 as Global Director of Human Resources. Andrea comes with over 20 years of progressive experience in human resources management. She started her HR career in Ontario, Canada before moving to Colorado in 1998. She has diverse industry experience, including manufacturing/ operations, warehouse/distribution, mergers and acquisitions, privately held and private equity environments.

Kryl Boedeker
Director of Operations and Supply Chain

Mr. Boedeker is a results-driven leader with extensive experience in operations management and supply chain leadership within the agricultural industry. As the Director of Operations and Supply Chain at S&W Seed Co., he has been leading strategic initiatives to streamline operations, optimize supply chain processes, and drive growth since joining the company in March 2021.

Before joining S&W Seed Co., Mr. Boedeker served as Operations Manager at Forage Genetics International, where he was instrumental in managing sorghum operations and implementing strategies to improve supply chain performance.

Mr. Boedeker’s career in agriculture spans back to 2008, when he began working at DuPont Pioneer in progressively responsible roles, culminating in the position of Senior Production Agronomist. In this role, Mr. Boedeker oversaw large-scale seed production operations, improved agronomic practices, and led teams to drive significant results.

Beyond his professional expertise, Mr. Boedeker has a strong passion for the sorghum crop, recognizing its critical importance to sustainable agriculture and its potential to contribute to global food security. This passion has been a guiding force throughout his career, shaping a deep commitment to advancing practices that enhance the cultivation and use of sorghum.

Mr. Boedeker holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) from Texas Tech University (1998) and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Texas Tech University (2016). This solid educational background, combined with his passion for agronomy and operations management, drives his approach to solving complex challenges in the agricultural sector.

With a proven track record of optimizing operations, enhancing collaboration, and fostering innovation, Mr. Boedeker is dedicated to advancing the agriculture industry and driving sustainable, efficient practices across the supply chain.