AMAN ANAND
Minneapolis,MN
Summary
Award-winning senior leader in agriculture (CPAg) and AgTech, with over 15 years of experience in retail agronomy, innovation strategy, digital transformation, and intellectual property management. Recognized as the 2025 Emerging Leader by CropLife America. Proven success in generating over $100M in commercial value, evaluating 250+ AgTech companies, and leading IP, R&D, and strategic partnerships at Nutrien and CHS. Expert in launching digital platforms, managing multimillion-dollar M&A projects, technology licensing, and advising global initiatives in sustainability and farmer income enhancement.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Head (Retail Partnerships, AgTech & IP Strategy)
Nutrien Ag Solutions
Loveland , CO
08.2022 - Current
- Defined Nutrien’s digital collaboration and innovation strategy with major global partners, including Bayer, BASF, Syngenta, Corteva, FMC, UPL, and John Deere.
- Developed a strategy for over $12M in new revenue streams from partnerships with more than 10 AgTech firms.
- Led 26 Invention Disclosure Statements (IDS) in one year—a company record; filed nine patents (three granted).
- Built an internal IP management system and coordinated with external law firms, saving over $1 million in legal fees.
- Developed and launched Nutrien’s proprietary soil genomics initiative with the acquisition of the largest soil lab in the country, Waypoint Analytical, and evaluated 12+ sensor technologies (e.g., NIR, Gamma Ray, FT-NIR).
- Created Nutrien’s AgTech, Drone Strategy Factbook for executive leadership; led a $10M Colorado State University Endowment R&D alignment program.
- Collaborated on GenAI tools, including Microsoft Farmbeat, Bayer’s ELY, Syngenta Cropwise, BASF Xarvio, and Taranis Ag Assistant, for agronomic decision-making.
Lead Agronomist – Product Strategy & Innovation
CHS Inc.
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
01.2014 - 01.2022
- Grew seed and CPP portfolio of CHS Northern Plain by 400% to over $12M; ranked among the Top 5% nationally as a certified professional agronomist (CPAg).
- Built CHS’s digital platform vision, leading to Agellum launch, plus Allegiant Seed.
- Directed a $72M USDA Climate-Smart Grant as Principal Investigator in collaboration with six land-grant universities; architected carbon, remote sensing, and MMRV frameworks.
- Created a $90M+ Levesol product line and secured the first AAPFCO EDDHA certification.
- Established CHS’s proprietary biologicals and seed portfolio; led 15 or more university collaborations.
- Initiated a $50M CHS-Growmark CVC fund and supported $300M+ in M&A due diligence.
- Trained over 100 agronomists; authored 35 technical bulletins, reaching over 500,000 growers.
Honorary Scientific Advisor – Innovation & IP
Government of India (ICAR)
New Delhi
07.2018 - 07.2021
- Appointed to support the Prime Minister’s mission to double farmer income, with a $16B allocated budget.
- Drove policy on Plant Variety Protection (PPVFR Act) and IPR frameworks.
- Enabled convergence programs impacting over 75,000 farmers across seven strategic pillars.
- Fostered US–India AgTech collaborations; recognized by the Prime Minister for innovation leadership.
SAS Data Analyst
Infonero Inc.
Fargo, North Dakota
01.2009 - 01.2013
- Built automated data analytics pipelines using SAS, R, and Python for agriculture datasets for leading OEMs, resulting in a comparative cost reduction of 65%.
- Developed ETL processes to enhance data integrity by 35%; incorporated soil, weather, and yield data, resulting in a 75% cost saving compared to traditional software development.
- Enabled predictive modeling and dashboarding via Tableau, Hive, and Power BI; built a platform that was sold for $36 million.
Education
M.S. - Patent Law
University of Minnesota Law School
Minneapolis, MN05-2021
Ph.D. - Land and Atmospheric Science
University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, MNM.S. - Plant Science
North Dakota State University
B.S. - Plant Science
Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi Skills
- Agricultural retail strategy
- Business development
- Intellectual property management
- Data analytics
- AgTech partnerships
- Remote sensing technologies
- Digital agronomy practices
- Product development
- R&D leadership
- Crop protection strategies
- Strategic partnerships
- AI and machine learning applications
- Global policy advisory
- Influencing and negotiating
Accomplishments
- Emerging Leader from CropLife America, UMN Law School- Merit Award
- Winfield United-Top Agronomist, IFFCO Award, CHS True Blue Award
Certification
- Certified Crop Advisor- MN, Certified Professional Agronomist
- Remote Pilot License, Lean Six Sigma certification, Prosci Certified
Timeline
Head (Retail Partnerships, AgTech & IP Strategy)
Nutrien Ag Solutions
08.2022 - Current
Honorary Scientific Advisor – Innovation & IP
Government of India (ICAR)
07.2018 - 07.2021
Lead Agronomist – Product Strategy & Innovation
CHS Inc.
01.2014 - 01.2022
SAS Data Analyst
Infonero Inc.
01.2009 - 01.2013
M.S. - Patent Law
University of Minnesota Law School
Ph.D. - Land and Atmospheric Science
University of Minnesota
M.S. - Plant Science
North Dakota State University
B.S. - Plant Science
Banaras Hindu University
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