Corteva Inc. has announced the leadership teams of the two companies that will be created after the planned separation in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Corteva announced the CEOs and executive leadership team members for SpinCo and New Corteva in releases on Tuesday.

The Indianapolis-based company announced last fall that it will split into two independent, publicly traded companies. SpinCo will be focused on seed development. New Corteva will focus on crop production.

Corteva’s seed business is currently based in Johnston. An offshoot of Pioneer and once owned by Dow and DuPont, Corteva became a standalone company in 2019.

At the time of the announcement, a campaign was begun by the Iowa Economic Development Authority to bring the SpinCo headquarters to Iowa. A petition was circulated asking individuals for support in the campaign.

IEDA was joined in the Plant the HQ campaign by several partners, including the city of Johnston, Polk County, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, and America’s Cultivation Corridor.

Local officials touted the economic importance to the region of bringing the SpinCo headquarters to Iowa.

“Opportunities like this don’t come around often, and when they do, it’s important that communities show up and work together,” Altoona Mayor Dean O’Connor said in a statement provided to the Business Record by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “We’re proud to support Corteva and the future of SpinCo because investments like this don’t just benefit one city — they strengthen the entire region.” 

Derek Lord, community and economic development director for the city of Ankeny, said Corteva’s economic impact extends across the region.

“Supporting this effort reflects a broader commitment to securing long-term opportunities for job growth, investment, and innovation that benefit the entire region,” he said in an email provided by the Partnership.

A Corteva spokesperson referred the Business Record to Tuesday’s releases about company leadership when asked about the timeline for site selection for the SpinCo headquarters. The releases did not address the location of headquarters for the two new companies, or if they would remain in Indianapolis.

As of mid-day Wednesday, the petition to bring the SpinCo headquarters to Iowa had 710 signatures.

At the time of the separation announcement last fall, the company said it makes sense for the businesses to be independent, allowing them to better focus on technology and innovation that’s more tailored to the individual operations, the Wall Street Journal reported at the time.

According to Tuesday’s announcement, current Corteva CEO Chuck Magro will become the CEO of SpinCo when the separation occurs.

The leadership team will include:

• David Johnson will be SpinCo chief financial officer. 
• Judd O’Connor will be chief commercial and operations officer. 
• Sam Eathington will be chief technology officer. 
• Audrey Grimm will be chief people officer.
• Brian Lutz will be chief digital and information officer. 
• Jennifer Johnson will be chief legal officer.

“I have every confidence that this new leadership team comprises a team that will deliver durable growth to drive our new company’s success,” Magro said in the release. “That success will be anchored in innovation that helps farmers grow more food – and fuel – underpinned by sustained investment in advanced technology, expanding our opportunity for impact, potentially even beyond row crops.” 

According to the release, Luke Kissam will be CEO of New Corteva. He is the former Albemarle chairman, president and CEO, and will join the current company on June 1.

The leadership team of New Corteva will include:

• Jeff Rudolph will be the company’s chief financial officer. 
• Brook Cunningham will be chief commercial officer. 
• Ralph Ford will be chief integrated operations officer. 
• Reza Rasoulpour will be chief technology officer. 
• Jim Alcombright will be chief digital and information officer. 

The positions of chief legal officer and chief people officer are open, and a search is underway to fill them, the release stated.

“The business that will become Corteva after separation, later this year, will lead a critical industry from a position of strength,” Corteva Chair Greg Page, who will also chair New Corteva after separation, said in the release. “I look forward to working with each of these leaders to drive the new, focused company to even greater heights.”

According to the release, members of the leadership teams of both companies will host an investors day at the New York Stock Exchange on Sept. 15.