Syngenta and BASF Announce New Sales and Leadership Appointments
May 11, 2026 
(L to R) Gregg Wisniewski, Giannina ‘Gia’ Portal, and Todd Loecke. | Syngenta and BASF
Syngenta Professional Solutions (SPS) and BASF have announced the following additions to their sales and leadership teams.
Syngenta Professional Solutions Advances Leadership Team with New Appointments
Syngenta Professional Solutions (SPS) has announced two key leadership appointments that will take effect June 1, 2026, strengthening its sales organization, key account partnerships, and continued support for recently launched innovations across the turf, ornamental, and professional pest management markets.
Todd Loecke Named Head of Sales, SPS
Todd Loecke has been appointed Head of Sales for SPS, bringing deep expertise and a proven track record to this leadership role. Loecke began his 35-year career with Syngenta in the Crop Protection business before joining SPS as a Territory Sales Manager in the Midwest. He has since held several critical leadership positions, including Midwest District Sales Manager.
In his new role, Loecke will guide the entire SPS field sales organization to help customers successfully adopt and gain consistent performance from new innovations recently introduced across professional markets — including Atexzo® insecticide/miticide, Trefinti® nematicide/fungicide, Vykenda® insecticide/miticide, and Vanecto™ Cockroach gel bait.
“Todd’s agronomic expertise, deep customer knowledge, leadership experience, and long-standing commitment to Professional Solutions make him the right leader to guide our sales organization forward during an important period of innovation,” says Dave Ravel, Head of SPS, North America. “As we continue to bring new solutions to market, Todd’s understanding of customer needs will help ensure our sales teams continue delivering confidence and guidance professionals need to achieve effective control across every segment we serve.”
Loecke will remain based in Urbandale, IA, report directly to Ravel, and join the SPS North American Leadership Team.
Gregg Wisniewski Named Head of Key Accounts, Professional Solutions
Gregg Wisniewski has been named Head of Key Accounts for SPS. Wisniewski currently serves as Head of Business Development for North America and brings a combination of global marketing leadership and hands-on key account experience to the role. His previous positions include Head of Global Marketing for Ornamentals & Garden based in Basel, Switzerland, Key Account Manager in the U.S., and Professional Pest Management Market Manager.
In his new role, Wisniewski will lead the SPS key accounts strategy while continuing to support strategic customers as they implement legacy and newly launched solutions.
“Gregg brings a global perspective and a strong understanding of how innovation translates into customer success,” says Ravel. “His experience across ornamental, turf, and professional pest management markets will be especially important as our key account partners adopt new tools and address evolving market challenges.”
Wisniewski will be based in Greensboro, NC, report directly to Ravel and remain a member of the SPS North American Leadership Team.
BASF Welcomes Giannina ‘Gia’ Porta as Greenhouse and Nursery Sales Representative for Florida
BASF welcomes Giannina ‘Gia’ Portal as the new Greenhouse and Nursery Sales Representative for the Florida territory. Gia has been with BASF since 2018 and joined the P&SS team in 2022 as part of the Marketing and Business Development (M&BD) organization. During her time in M&BD, she managed several key customer accounts and most recently led a novel direct-to-consumer launch via Amazon.
“I am genuinely excited to welcome Gia on board to the greenhouse and nursery sales team, and I’m confident she’ll be a fantastic addition. She brings a wealth of account management experience, as well as a strong background with the ornamentals portfolio and valuable BASF expertise,” says Caren Schmidt, BASF Regional Sales Manager.
Now responsible for greenhouse and nursery sales across Florida, Gia is a native of Florida and New Jersey. She holds a BS in Chemistry and International Affairs from Florida State University and an MS in Chemistry from Seton Hall University. She will soon complete her MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill.
“With her skills and background, we fully expect Gia to hit the ground running, connecting with Florida stakeholders and delivering outstanding crop protection solutions along with top-notch customer service,” says Schmidt.
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