FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., September 23, 2020 – To help drive continued acceleration and growth, Sumitomo Biorational LLC, the worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of biorational products, announced the creation of a new Chief Commercial Officer position, as well as other key organizational and reporting changes within the business. All of the changes are effective October 1.
Salman Mir, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Pace International LLC and Mycorrhizal Applications LLC, both subsidiaries of Sumitomo Biorational, is named Chief Commercial Officer of Sumitomo Biorational and is being promoted to President of Pace International. He returns to Sumitomo Biorational, where he served as Vice President of Global Marketing and Business Management earlier in his career. Mir was also Head of AgroSolutions Division International (Asia Pacific) and General Manager Sumitomo Chemical Asia (SCA). He will report to Ted Melnik, Sumitomo Biorational’ Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
In his new role, Mir will strengthen the company’s overall commercial organization and elevate the development and execution of its global Sustainable Solutions platform in partnership with Valent U.S.A. and Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. affiliates around the world to generate increased global growth. Mir will relocate to Sumitomo Biorational’ global Biorational Headquarters in Libertyville from Pace International’s headquarters in Wapato, Washington.
Melnik will continue leading Sumitomo Biorational, but will now report to Nobuaki Mito, Managing Executive Officer, Health and Crop Sciences Sector, at parent company Sumitomo Chemical Co. Mir’s appointment as Chief Commercial Officer of Sumitomo Biorational will enable Melnik to devote additional attention to other critical business priorities and initiatives.
In addition, Rodrigo Cifuentes is being appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Pace International, reporting to Mir. A replacement for Cifuentes’ current position as Vice President of Global Marketing and Business Development will be named at a later date.
Sumitomo Biorational’ Public Health and Forest Health businesses based in Libertyville will now report to Mir, while the Mycorrhizal Applications business, headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon, will continue to report to him.
“This is an exciting time for our business, as the need for innovative biorational technologies and products has never been greater,” said Melnik. “These changes will strengthen our organization and position us for continued success as an industry leader in sustainable agriculture. I congratulate Salman and Rodrigo on their new assignments, which will help us continue to fulfill our commitment to creating value for our customers around the world in a sustainable manner.”
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About Sumitomo Biorational LLC
Headquartered in Libertyville, Illinois, Sumitomo Biorational is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., and is the worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of biorational products with sales in 95 countries around the world. Sumitomo Biorational is an ISO 9001 Certified Company. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.sumitomobiorational.com.
Media Contact:
John Mandel
Sumitomo Biorational
847-968-4728