The Chemistry of Leadership: Mike Stern

Dr. Michael Stern, CEO of the Climate Corporation and Head of Digital Farming for Bayer Crop Science, shares how he blended a deep scientific knowledge with a distinctive leadership approach to build products, teams, and businesses in agriculture. Mike shares early education experiences that helped him choose a career in chemistry, his introduction to and fascination with agricultural science, some of his biggest career successes, and the way his research skills opened opportunities to develop and grow as a manager and leader. Mike shares his secrets to success and the way he’s used the tools of science to be a successful leader at the intersection of science, technology, and agriculture. 

How does scientific research work together with business and environmental needs to create a better world? How do you make innovative decisions in a changing industry? How do you take advantage of disruption to strengthen your business? What role can science play in developing industry-defining technologies? How are traditionally low-tech industries being redefined by science and technology? 

Guest Bio: 
Dr. Michael Stern serves as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and as Head of Climate Corporation and Digital Farming for the Crop Science division of Bayer. Based in St. Louis, Stern leads a diverse team that develops digital tools to help the world’s farmers understand their fields in ways that have never been possible before.

Before joining Bayer, Stern was the CEO of The Climate Corporation and a member of Monsanto’s Executive Team. Prior to his role at The Climate Corporation, Stern led Monsanto’s Row Crop Business in the Americas with responsibility for its corn, soy, cotton, specialty crops, licensing and crop protection businesses across the regions. During his tenure at Monsanto, which began in 1988, Stern has served in leadership roles for a variety of its businesses, including: Vice President, U.S. Seeds and Traits; President, American Seeds; CEO of Renessen LLC, a biotechnology joint venture with Cargill; and Director of Technology, Agricultural Productivity.

Stern is an active member of the St. Louis community, where he serves on the board of the Missouri Botanical Garden. He is married with three children.

Building Blocks:
Think about your version of applying a skill set from one context into another context. Maybe you're really good at playing an instrument and you're just starting a programing job. How could your musical acumen help you as you build, refine and ship software code? Maybe you're somebody who's traveled a lot or you speak several languages fluently. How can your ability to think in a different language open you up to new opinions and perspectives among your colleagues? Think of something you're good at or specially trained in and ask yourself, how can that thing help me in some other area of my life?  

Helpful Links:
US Department of Agriculture perspective on Big Data and IoT in agriculture
Business Insider: Big Data and Farming
N. Venkat Venkatraman: Monsanto's “Data + Analytics” Frontier
More on what The Climate Corporation does: https://climate.com/