Mayo Schmidt Exits Nutrien, Interim CEO Named As Search Starts for Long-Term Leader

There’s a leadership shuffle at Nutrien corporate. 

Ken Seitz, previous leader of Nutrien’s potash division, has been named interim CEO of Nutrien after Mayo Schmidt left the company. The news broke on January 4. 

Schmidt was CEO of Nutrien for eight months after Chuck Magro exited in April 2021. Schmidt’s departure as CEO also comes with his resignation from the board of directors. 

Before being named CEO, Schmidt was chairman of the board of Nutrien since May 2019. When he took on the CEO role, Russ Girling was named chair of the board of directors for Nutrien.

“Nutrien has delivered exceptional results in 2021 and is well positioned to continue this strong momentum into 2022,” Girling said in the company’s announcement. “Nutrien has a talented and deep executive team, and we are confident that Ken Seitz and this team will continue to build on the organization’s record financial and operating performance.”

Seitz has been with Nutrien since 2019, and was previously with potash supplier Canpotex. 

The company says it has launched a global search for a new long-term CEO. 

Schmidt was leading Nutrien with its new ESG and climate initiatives including having doubled its carbon program acres in the past year.