American Vanguard Names Douglas A. Kaye as Chief Executive Officer
American Vanguard Corporation has announced the appointment of Douglas A. (“Dak”) Kaye, III as its chief executive officer following a unanimous vote from its board of directors, effective December 9, 2024. Kaye will be based at the company’s global headquarters beginning January 6, 2025.
“We believe that Dak is the right executive to drive the Company to achieve its transformation goal of generating an adjusted EBITDA margin of 15% and to strategically position the Company for future growth,” said Scott Baskin, lead director of the board.
For the past 13 years, Kaye has served in a variety of senior leadership roles at Albaugh, LLC, including president, North America, group chief commercial officer, and president of the European region.
“I am grateful to be named American Vanguard’s chief executive officer at this important point in the company’s history,” Kaye said. “I have admired American Vanguard for many years. I view it as having strong relationships with customers by providing solutions that customers know and trust. I’m confident we can accelerate the transformation underway, driving revenue growth and margin improvement. I look forward to leading the team to success.”
Intrepid Potash Appoints Kevin S. Crutchfield as Chief Executive Officer
Effective immediately, Kevin S. Crutchfield is the new chief executive officer and board director of Intrepid Potash.
Crutchfield has over three decades of global mining experience and over twenty years of leadership, operating and technical experience in public company and board of director roles. His background includes roles at Compass Minerals, Alpha Natural Resources, Contura Energy, Pittston Coal Company, Cyprus Amax Minerals Company and the El Paso Corporation.
“I am excited to join Intrepid, a company that is recognized for its high-quality, essential product, hands-on customer service, world-class team, and service to its communities,” Crutchfield said. He added, “I look forward to working with the Board and talented team to build on the Company’s strong foundation, unique market position, and operational excellence to drive future growth and value for our customers, employees and shareholders.”
Matt Preston will continue to serve as Intrepid’s chief financial officer.
Illinois Soybean Association Announces 2025 Field Advisor Award Recipients
The winners of the Illinois Soybean Association’s (ISA) 2025 Master Adviser Award and Dave Rahe Excellence in Soils Consulting Award are:
2025 Master Adviser: Jeremy Wilson, owner of Wilson Seed and an independent sales representative for Pioneer
Wilson holds a degree in agronomy from Northwest Missouri State University and has operated Wilson Seed for 13 years, providing tailored agronomy and crop insurance services.
Dave Rahe Excellence in Soils Consulting Award: Brandon Hall, location operations manager at West Central FS
Hall has specialized in soil and crop management for over ten years. He is chair of the Knox County Farm Bureau Young Leaders and chairman of the Cover Crop Project.
For more information about the awards, visit fieldadvisor.org.
