The Consortium Board of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research announced the appointment of Mr. Lloyd Le Page as the first Consortium Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who will lead the CGIAR in the implementation of its new business model.  

Mr. Le Page is currently leading the Sustainable Agriculture and Development division of Pioneer Hi-Bred, a Du Pont business. In this global role, he has focused primarily on working with small farmers and improving agricultural value chains in Africa and Asia. 

The Chair of the Consortium Board, Mr. Carlos Perez del Castillo, said that Mr. Le Page had been chosen following a rigorous recruitment process, and that he is ideally suited to lead the CGIAR to forge stronger and more effective partnerships and lead the implementation of the CGIAR’s new strategic, results-based research program. 

“Mr. Le Page will bring strong leadership and great depth of experience to the CGIAR,” continued Perez del Castillo. “We believe he will be able to bring new elements to the CGIAR reform program, catalyze more effective partnerships with the private sector, donors, stakeholders, farmers, and the CGIAR centers to ensure the reform process has impact on the ground. 

“Most of all, he is bringing a fresh vision to the CGIAR and a great deal of commitment and enthusiasm for contributing to the success of the reform process, and ultimately, impact”, added Perez del Castillo. 

The experience of the new CEO is far-ranging, with a successful career in farming and agri-business over the last 20 years. He has designed and led a number of public-private partnerships, and has been active serving on many non-profit boards and advisory groups, including work with major donors and national governments. He has gained the trust and confidence of many of the stakeholders that make up the international agricultural research community, and has served as consultant to several of the CGIAR centers. 

After obtaining a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences, Le Page spent several years running farms in southern Africa. During that period, he was deeply involved in many parts of the value chain ensuring farmers’ produce reached consumers, a new facet of CGIAR reform. He then joined Du Pont business Pioneer Hi-Bred, one of the world’s leading agricultural businesses, and ran a number of successful supply operations in Africa. Eventually, he ran the supply management operations throughout Africa for Pioneer and gained experience in linking the private sector with farmers in the developing world. In 2004, Le Page moved to Pioneer Hi-Bred’s head office in Des Moines, Iowa, to establish and lead Pioneer's sustainable development activities.

 Le Page is a British citizen whose parents were missionaries in Africa, where he spent his childhood and the majority of his career. He is married with 2 children and currently lives in Des Moines, Iowa.