Following a year of exciting transformations for Syngenta Seeds, NK® Brand Seeds announces several organizational changes and appointments of key personnel.

Appointed to lead the organization as the Head of NK Brand Seeds is David Elser. Most recently, Elser served as head of the Northern Field Crops business unit for Syngenta Crop Protection, following earlier roles within the company as a district sales manager and sales training specialist.

Jamie Leifker takes the position of Head of Marketing for NK Brand Seeds, reporting to Elser. He will be responsible for directing the NK Brand marketing team in providing leading products, programs and information to NK Brand dealers and customers. Leifker joined Syngenta in 2004 as Crop Protection district sales manager for Northern Illinois and Wisconsin. Previously he held a brand marketing position with FMC Corporation.

Other leadership changes within the NK Brand include the promotion of Rusty Thompson to the position of Area Sales Director for the East/South area, which covers most of Missouri and the eastern half of the US, including a restructured Southern Area. Now reporting to Thompson are two Southern Regional Sales Managers Tony Drach, Eastern Region, and Scott Tefteller, Western Region.

“Backed by the resources and research of Syngenta™, NK Brand Seeds continues to focus on and is fully committed to meeting customer needs,” Elser explains.

“This NK Brand team is a group of highly qualified individuals who believe in the traditions of NK Brand and are committed to growing our business through our channel partners,” Elser says. “Everyone at NK Brand shares the goal of offering our customers solutions and services for better returns on every acre.”

Both Elser and Leifker will be located at the NK Brand headquarters in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Thompson is located at Delphos, Ohio; Drach at Milan, Tennessee, and Tefteller at Brinkley, Arkansas.

NK Brand Seeds is a trusted hybrid corn, soybean and alfalfa seed supplier with more than 100 years of service in the marketplace. The brand provides customers more yield and better choices for the way they farm through innovative products and solutions. Located in Golden Valley, Minnesota, NK Brand Seeds is part of Syngenta.

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). Further information is available at www.syngenta.com.

NK®, Backed by the resources and research of Syngenta™ and For The Way You Farm® are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.