The International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ronald E. Guendel as its new President.

Ronald brings more than 30 years of international leadership experience across agribusiness, food systems, strategic partnerships, and smallholder development. Throughout his career, he has worked at the intersection of industry, academia, governments, international organizations, and farmers, building collaborations that improve competitiveness while creating positive social and economic impact.

Currently serving as an Advisory Board Member at ELFIN Consulting, Ronald previously spent more than two decades with Bayer CropScience, where he held several global leadership positions, including Global Vice President of Smallholder Farming. In this role, he led initiatives supporting Bayer's ambition to empower 100 million smallholder farmers through innovative business models and strategic partnerships.

During his career, Ronald also led global food value chain partnerships, food security initiatives, and stakeholder engagement programs across more than 40 countries. He is one of the founders of the Global Alliance Against TR4, an international coalition dedicated to protecting the global banana industry, and the creator of BayG.A.P., a capacity-building program that has helped thousands of smallholder farmers improve agricultural practices and strengthen market access.

Ronald first attended an IFAMA World Conference in 2015 and has served on the IFAMA Board of Directors since 2020. In recognition of his contributions to the organization and the agrifood sector, he was named an IFAMA Fellow in 2023.

Why IFAMA

“What attracted me to IFAMA is its unique ability to bring together people who normally do not sit around the same table. Universities, companies, governments, entrepreneurs, international organizations, and young professionals all have valuable perspectives to contribute. I believe IFAMA has an extraordinary opportunity to become the global platform where these perspectives come together to create practical solutions for the future of food and agriculture.”

During his presidency, Ronald aims to strengthen IFAMA as a year-round global platform by increasing member engagement, expanding strategic partnerships, supporting financial sustainability, and creating greater value for members across academia, industry, and the public sector.

Investing in the Next GenerationI

“One of my priorities will be creating more opportunities for students and young professionals to become active contributors, not only future leaders. The next generation will inherit enormous challenges, and IFAMA has both the responsibility and the opportunity to help prepare them through collaboration, innovation, and practical leadership.”

Ronald holds a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy and a Master of Science in Agricultural Education from Iowa State University, as well as an MBA from Interamerican University in San José, Costa Rica.

He looks forward to working with IFAMA members around the world to strengthen one of the most respected global networks in agrifood management and to help position IFAMA as an even stronger catalyst for collaboration, innovation, and leadership across global food systems.

“The challenges facing agriculture today are too complex for any one organization to solve alone. My goal is to help IFAMA become the place where collaboration moves beyond conversation and becomes measurable impact.”