Syngenta announced today that Carsten Tilger is appointed Head of Communication & Public Affairs based in Basel. He reports to CEO Michael Pragnell.

Carsten Tilger originally joined Hoechst AG in Frankfurt in 1997, became Head of Media Relations at Aventis SA, Strasbourg, in 2000 and was named Head of Corporate Communications at Aventis in 2003. From 2005, he headed communications for Europe’s largest cable network operator, Kabel Deutschland, in Munich. Carsten Tilger has an MA in economics and was trained as a business journalist.

He succeeds Rainer von Mielecki who, after 15 years in leading communication roles with the company, has decided to pursue other opportunities.

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2005 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs more than 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT).