KWS board member retires
Christopher Ahrens says "Goodbye"
Board member Dr. Christopher Ahrens is leaving KWS SAAT AG on June 30, 2005. After 19 years of membership in the company’s Executive Board, he is retiring to his farm in Sussex, South England. Philip Freiherr von dem Bussche, currently President of the German Agricultural Society (DLG), will succeed Christopher Ahrens on the board effective October 1.
Christopher Ahrens was responsible on KWS’ Executive Board for sugar beet seed and Eastern Europe. After studying agronomics in Göttingen and Hohenheim, he took his doctorate in 1971 at the Institute for Plant Diseases at the University of Bonn and at the American University in Beirut. Christopher Ahrens began his career in 1972 and held various posts at Schering in Berlin and Bayer AG in Leverkusen and Monheim. He was appointed to the Executive Board of KWS in 1986.
Under the leadership of Christopher Ahrens, KWS continuously expanded its position as a world market leader in the sugar beet segment. In particular, the multilingual manager was able to achieve outstanding successes for the company in developing the Eastern European and American markets. Ahrens also contributed his expertise and in-depth market experience to a large number of national and international bodies. Examples that can be named are his honorary role as President of the International Seed Federation (ISF), chairmanship of the Agriculture/Nutrition working group in the German/Russian Cooperation Council and his work in the Sugar Beet Committee of the German Agricultural Society (DLG).
UK-K/SSt 24.06.2005
