Former Tyson CEO Becomes Indigo Ag’s Third Leader

Effective February 1, 2024, Indigo Ag will have its third CEO in the company’s history. 

Dean Banks will join Flagship Pioneering as CEO-Partner and CEO of Indigo Ag; most recently, Banks was the former President and CEO of Tyson Foods. He’s also a former leader at X (an Alphabet company, formerly known as Google [X]). Banks is familiar to Indigo having served on its board since July 2022. 

“I’m thrilled to take on the role of CEO of Indigo Ag. Over the last year on the board, I have witnessed the tremendous investment we’ve made to build scientifically validated digital sustainability tools and biological products that farmers, agribusiness, our CPG partners, and our planet urgently need,” Banks said. “Indigo’s solutions are delivering on their promise to help make our farmers more successful today, driving higher yields and new revenue streams while helping them nurture their soil for better tomorrows. The company is uniquely positioned as a trusted, independent partner impacting millions of acres today across the agricultural value chain. I look forward to working with the team to take the company to the next level as we scale its growth and impact.”

Ron Hovsepian has been the company’s CEO since September 2020, after he succeeded company founder David Perry. 

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Ron for his leadership in taking Indigo to a new level of performance and growth and laying the foundation for its forward path in becoming the undisputed leader in the transformation to regenerative agriculture,” said Robert Berendes, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board, Indigo Ag and Executive Partner, Flagship Pioneering. “We are delighted Ron will continue to contribute to Indigo’s success as a board member and an advisor to the CEO.”

Indigo product developments during Havsepian’s tenure included three focuses: the first crop of registry-issued ag carbon credits at scale, expanding biological seed treatments, and the ongoing development and deployment of second-generation digital merchandising solutions.  

The company said those areas of focus will be key to its future.

“Dean brings entrepreneurial and operational experience and excellence to Indigo and an extensive track record in building value for life sciences, tech, and food companies, and he joins at an exciting time, given the recent close of the company’s latest financing round,” said Noubar Afeyan, Founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering and Co-Founder of Indigo Ag. “His unique background makes him well-positioned to realize Indigo’s bold ambitions and also to contribute to Flagship’s growing sustainability portfolio.”

In the same announcement, Indigo added Nader Bekhouche (Investment Corporation of Dubai) and Noubar Afeyan (Flagship Pioneering) to its Board of Directors.