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enterprisechronicles · 23 days ago

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Andre Oliveira: Revolutionizing Farming from Vision to Reality

Entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in generating consistent profits and guiding the growth of their ventures. They shape the direction and image of their businesses by identifying community needs, developing innovative concepts, and driving the creation and continuous evolution of their enterprises. Andre Oliveira, the Founder and Director of CENTRIGO™ Farming Ecosystem, is passionate about revolutionizing farming and aims to make it a profitable endeavor for farmers. CENTRIGO™ provides a comprehensive platform that offers products and services tailored to individual farming needs. It enables farmers to access valuable data for informed decision-making and connects them with buyers, ensuring peace of mind.

Shaping the Future of Agriculture

With three decades of experience as a global executive in the agroecology sector, Andre has made significant contributions to crop protection, seeds, biologicals, and related technologies. He has a proven track record of driving industry advancements through innovative business models and impactful initiatives. His expertise ranges from leading startups to holding senior positions in R&D, regulatory affairs, sales, marketing, and business development. Andre has successfully led large teams across diverse and complex socio-political and economic environments in regions including Asia Pacific, China, South America, Europe, and North America.

Renowned for nurturing diverse talent and creating supportive team environments, Andre Oliveira approaches challenges with strategic and analytical insight. He excels in negotiation, problem-solving, and collaboration, ensuring that objectives are met effectively with all stakeholders. His ability to identify customer needs, promote innovation, and deliver customized solutions sets him apart in the industry.

A visionary and transformative leader in Agribusiness and Biotechnology, Andre practices agile leadership, which he has successfully applied in various change management scenarios throughout his career. Beyond his technical expertise, he is celebrated for his talent in inspiring and elevating those around him, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation within his teams.

As a mentor and role model within his organization, Andre has demonstrated exceptional acumen across various domains, including general management, customer experience enhancement, corporate venture development, startup management, M&A, and P&L management.

A Passion for Agriculture

Andre Oliveira, originally from a small town in Minas Gerais, Brazil, grew up surrounded by small-scale farming despite being born into a family of lawyers. His passion for agriculture was sparked early, spending time on friends’ farms where he observed the struggles small farmers faced in achieving profitability due to limited technological resources. This exposure fueled Andre’s determination to make a meaningful difference in agriculture through technology in the future.

Entrepreneurial Leadership in Agricultural Innovation

Andre pursued a degree in Agronomy from the Federal University of Lavras, followed by a Master’s in Plant Protection at Vicosa Federal University, both located in the rural areas of Minas Gerais, Brazil. With a solid grasp of the challenges farmers face, he recognized the potential for significant change by working with major corporations capable of revolutionizing agriculture. During his studies, he participated in product development projects with multinational companies like Sandoz and Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). After graduating, Andre joined ICI and later transitioned to Zeneca, which eventually merged with Novartis to form Syngenta Crop Protection. Embracing the opportunities that arose from these changes, Andre dedicated himself to developing impactful solutions for the future of farming.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Andre pursued two MBAs, one in Marketing/Finance and another in Marketing/Administration. He moved into commercial roles and eventually became Head of Seedcare for Syngenta in Latin America. As he advanced through various leadership positions across Europe, North America, and globally, Andre later took on the role of Regional Head of Crop Protection Development in APAC & China. In 2021, drawing on his extensive global experience, Andre established the New Farming Ecosystem (NFE) unit, launching the CENTRIGO™ Farming Ecosystem. This initiative aims to boost farmer productivity and profitability in APAC through innovative business models in partnership with Syngenta.

“Farming is my passion and finding ways to move agriculture forward, in these trying times, is something that I enjoy.” – Andre Oliveira

Farmer Centric Ecosystem

CENTRIGO™ is designed as a comprehensive, farmer-focused ecosystem offering complete solutions to tackle the key challenges faced by farmers, thereby boosting their income. Its core mission is to revolutionize agriculture by connecting farmers with financial support, appropriate inputs, essential services, and market access through both physical and digital platforms. The CENTRIGO™ team is committed to fostering sustainability in agriculture and food production. By empowering farmers to increase their productivity and profitability, CENTRIGO™ seeks to elevate the agricultural profession, which is vital to our food supply.

By advancing sustainable farming practices and reducing inefficiencies in the food production process, CENTRIGO™ is at the forefront of agricultural modernization, making farming a more profitable endeavor. In its initial year, it focused on supporting a select group of farmers in each country, using their feedback to fine-tune its approach before expanding into new regions. By 2023, CENTRIGO™ had forged partnerships with over 60 organizations, ranging from local startups to global corporations, established 35 centers, and introduced digital tools to efficiently serve farmers across the region.

“This initiative is a unique opportunity to give back to farmers who have limited or no access to the resources needed for managing a successful farm, such as specialized machinery, high-quality inputs, financial support and access to markets. We can help them to run successful and resilient farms” – Andre Oliveira

Inspiring Change through Innovation

Fueled by their fervor, the innovative founders of CENTRIGO™ embarked on a bold journey to transform the lives of countless smallholder farmers across the Asia Pacific. Their dedication to crafting impactful solutions culminated in the creation of a robust, farmer-focused ecosystem designed to modernize agricultural practices and boost farmers’ profitability in the region. The team is made up of skilled professionals who excel in various roles, work seamlessly together, and are united by a common vision. They embody the principle of “profit-for-purpose,” deeply aligning with its ethos.

“The CENTRIGO(™) team is deeply committed to uplifting farmers’ income, while also prioritizing regenerative agriculture practices and generating profits for the company.”. – Andre Oliveira

Andre Oliveira’s career spans various roles and achievements:

Started as a field biologist in Brazil and rapidly grew in the organization and became a senior executive, living in 7 countries, leading complex operations and impactful projects Notable highlights – creating new markets:

Launching a new insecticide for soybean seed treatment in Brazil as a “Vigor & Yield” enhancer

o Discovered product provided vigor to soy plants, boosting productivity by 3-5%o Inspired the team to challenge the known and pivot to showcase the “Vigor & Yield” benefits, positioning the product as relevant for total growing area (20 million hectares of soybean crop at that time), enlarging the playing field by 10x as compared to a traditional positioning to target insects, which was a concern in only 10% of the growing area Commercially launched CRUISER® in 2003, which achieved over$50 million in sales after two seasons.

o The idea expanded globally, earning Andre the “SyngentaPurpose Global Award”, the highest innovation recognition in the company Introducing the first ever seed treatment nematicide for field crops – A breakthrough innovation in seed treatment Setting the standard in seed-delivered insect, disease and first-ever nematode control, for a simple, safe and more convenient start to healthy, higher-yielding crops. Andre introduced AVICTA Complete® technology disrupting the market and rapidly displacing old chemistries, treating more than 50 million acres of cotton, soybean, and corn areas and surpassing $300 million in sales in the Americas and South Africa since its launch.

Andre has guided diverse teams throughout his career, managing everything from extensive R&D departments to agile, startup-inspired teams within larger companies. He was instrumental in developing innovative models such as CENTRIGO™. Now, as a Brazilian coffee producer, Andre aims to shift his focus to farming. His goal is to establish a distinguished brand known for its commitment to sustainably producing high-quality coffee for export to Asia and Europe.

Andre Oliveira’s Advice to Budding Entrepreneurs:

Establishing a new business is a process of continuous iteration. Start by clearly defining the problem, then test your solution with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and gather feedback from customers. Use the insights gained to adapt and refine your value proposition before scaling your business. Success in entrepreneurship demands qualities such as persistence, adaptability, and the ability to manage emotions amid uncertainty. Visionary entrepreneurs break away from traditional practices, view failures as opportunities for growth, and continuously innovate to create distinct value in the market. Avoid tackling the journey alone; seek guidance from mentors to enhance your learning and accelerate business growth.

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