Key Takeaways
- Corteva Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) has announced the board of directors for Vylor Inc., the future publicly traded seed and genetics company set to result from Corteva's planned separation.
- Karen Grimes, a current Corteva director and former senior managing director at Wellington Management Company, will lead the Vylor board as Independent Chair.
- The board includes seven confirmed directors with appointments effective at separation, which remains on track for the fourth quarter of 2026, and a search is ongoing for at least one additional member.
- Chuck Magro, Vylor's future CEO, will join the board alongside executives from Procter & Gamble, Deere & Company, Ultrapar, Merck, and Monsanto.
- Vylor's strategy centers on advanced germplasm and biotechnology, including gene editing and molecular breeding, with plans to expand into new row crops and grow its licensing business.
Corteva Announces Board for Future Seed and Genetics Company Vylor
Corteva Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) has announced the board of directors for Vylor Inc., the advanced seed and genetics company expected to become an independent, publicly traded entity following Corteva's planned separation. Karen Grimes will lead the board as Independent Chair. Grimes joined Corteva's board in March 2021 and previously served as senior managing director, partner, and equity portfolio manager at Wellington Management Company LLP. She began her career as a field engineer at IBM's Atlanta office after three years of service in the U.S. Army, and has served as a director of homebuilder Toll Brothers, Inc. since March 2019.
Who Will Sit on the Vylor Board
The board of seven confirmed directors will take effect at separation, which remains on track for the fourth quarter of 2026; a search is ongoing for at least one additional member. Alongside Grimes, the board includes Victor Aguilar, chief research, development and innovation officer at The Procter & Gamble Company; Rajesh “Raj” Kalathur, former president of John Deere Financial and former CIO and CFO of Deere & Company; Marcos Lutz, chairman and former CEO of Ultrapar Participações S.A.; Chuck Magro, Vylor‘s future CEO; Johannes “Jannie” J. Oosthuizen, executive vice president and president of oncology and MSD International at Merck & Co., Inc.; and Kerry Preete, retired executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Monsanto Company.
Karen Grimes on Vylor's Direction
“Vylor will be a company dedicated to leveraging its expertise in advanced seed and genetics to help farmers feed and fuel the world. I look forward to working with my fellow directors as well as the Vylor senior management team to accelerate the company's growth and impact – and continue to deliver results for shareholders,” said Karen Grimes, future Independent Chair of Vylor's board.
Vylor's Strategy: Germplasm, Gene Editing, and Licensing Growth
Vylor‘s innovation strategy will be anchored in what the company describes as the agriculture industry's most elite germplasm and transformative biotechnology. The company plans to apply scientific expertise in disciplines such as gene editing and molecular breeding to strengthen its core seed and genetics business, while exploring expansion into new row crops and potentially other categories. Vylor intends to scale these innovations through its existing routes-to-market and by significantly expanding its licensing business.
The Vylor board announcement follows Corteva's separately disclosed board for its standalone crop protection company, part of the broader plan to split into two independent, publicly traded companies by the fourth quarter of 2026.
