Walter Dias

• Head of Global’s Innovation, Research & Development team of 80, overseeing the Global R&D Innovation Center in Research Triangle Park (United States of America) and Global R&D Field Research Stations network (Brazil, Mexico, United Kingdom, Spain, India, Indonesia and Vietnam), and managing the life cycle of a diverse portfolio including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, seed treatments, adjuvants, and biologicals to support regional and global markets
• Head R&D teams, driven new technologies discovery, research and development to ensure global portfolio management
• Steered the implementation of Global R&D Optimization Project, with clear action plan within 34 actions identified, using Agile methodologies that involve whole R&D organization, that drove organizational transformation of processes and implemented a more efficient organizational structure, all while ensuring rigorous portfolio tracking and governance through Calyx software
• In collaboration with Human Resources, reviewed roles and responsibilities, to ensure high potential organization structure
• Establish the effective and productive new ways of work within R&D organization, fully aligned with business needed
• Ensure high level of technical information handover from laboratory, greenhouse, field and demo trials, to support the unique value propositions construction of new technologies
• Integral member of the UPL CTO (Chief Technology Officer) Executive Decision Committee, engaging in weekly strategy sessions and critical decision-making on FTE structures, Opex/Capex budgets, and long-term corporate directives alongside direct reports to the CTO
• Oversaw the operational (OPEX) and capital (CAPEX), budgeting ensuring meticulous execution of a $15 million budget for the R&D teams in global organization

• Headed Brazil's Innovation, R&D team of 33, overseeing the OpenAg research station and managing the life cycle of a diverse portfolio including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, seed treatments, adjuvants, and biologicals to support regional and global markets
• Strategically restructured the Brazil R&D division, successfully implementing a streamlined organizational framework for cross-functional personnel and concurrently led the strategic reopening of the Global OpenAg Station/Brazil, ensuring both initiatives were aligned with clear objectives and fully compliant with regulatory authorities
• Championed Intellectual Property (IP) oversight, ensuring protection and Freedom to Operate (FTO) for innovations, while pioneering a project management overhaul across all product categories, aligning with Strategic Marketing and regulatory compliance
• Launched the UPL Innovation Speed-up initiative that executed corporate vision by streamlining the transfer of technical information from R&D to customers, bolstering Brazilian sales and contributing to UPL's $1.8 billion revenue in fiscal year 2022
• Steered the Global R&D Optimization Project, using Agile methodologies, that drove organizational transformation of processes and implemented a more efficient organizational structure, all while ensuring rigorous portfolio tracking and governance through Calyx software
• In collaboration with Human Resources, instituted a groundbreaking talent management strategy that eradicated turnover, reducing costs, and setting a benchmark for company-wide adoption
• Integral member of the UPL Brazil Executive Decision Committee, engaging in weekly face-to-face strategy sessions and critical decision-making on FTE structures, Opex/Capex budgets, and long-term corporate directives alongside direct reports to the CEO
• Oversaw the operational (OPEX) and capital (CAPEX), budgeting ensuring meticulous execution of a $7 million budget for the R&D team in Brazil

• Directed a 50-person Latin America field product development and regulatory team, overseeing the lifecycle management of a comprehensive agriscience portfolio to bolster regional and global market
• Conducted a comprehensive overhaul of LATAM’s regulatory and R&D frameworks, establishing and deploying a restructured team of 50 professionals across 6 subregions and over 26 countries to enhance innovation and market responsiveness
• Engaged in the UPL LATAM Executive Decision Committee, contributing to bimonthly strategic sessions alongside the CEO's direct reports that orchestrated workforce architecture and sanctioned Opex/Capex budgets, while charting mid- to long-term organizational directives
• Oversaw a $5 million Opex and Capex budget for Regulatory and R&D teams across Latin America, coordinating with leaders of 6 subregions to align financial planning with strategic regulatory and R&D objectives

• Headed a 70-member team in advancing a portfolio of agrichemicals, from research to market-ready solutions, optimized for regional needs in 26 countries
• Strategically directed the crop protection product pipeline, ensuring the portfolio's alignment with global R&D and Marketing strategies and regional adaptation for the LATAM market
• Contributed to the LATAM R&D Steering Committee, deliberating and determining critical investments in R&D infrastructure to advance portfolio development and reinforce BASF's regional presence
• Responsible for the strategic oversight of a $12 million operational and capital budget for the R&D Crop Protection teams across Latin America, ensuring efficient allocation and execution of resources

• Oversaw the Latin American R&D portfolio and led portfolio development and technical teams in Brazil, driving innovation across key agricultural sectors
• Led a team of 22 PhDs, Masters, and MBAs in product development, overseeing the lifecycle from early research to market introduction, ensuring each technology's unique value proposition was strategically positioned for launch
• Ensured regulatory compliance and Freedom to Operate (FTO) for 8 Brazilian research facilities while strategically orchestrating a cross-functional team of 10 to facilitate the market introduction of new technologies, bolstering BASF's business objectives
• Held fiscal responsibility for the R&D Crop Protection division in Brazil, managing an $8 million budget across both operational and capital expenditures
• Pioneered the Product Launch Excellence initiative, strategically enhancing market penetration and sales through accelerated customer adoption of new products, thereby elevating the company's innovation rate to ~30

• Oversaw global insecticide research projects across world-wide regions, including USA agricultural regions California and Florida, serving as a Corporate Delegate and providing expert insights into growers' needs, culminating in the successful early completion of a three-year mandate within two years
• Enhanced project efficacy and product development by leveraging extensive knowledge of Latin American markets to refine strategic planning and foster collaboration between Corporate and Regional teams
• Spearheaded the development and execution of tailored agronomic solutions on a global scale, ensuring they meet diverse environmental, cultural, and regulatory requirements across five continents, thus facilitating compliance with both local and international governance
• Fulfilled the role of global ambassador for principal crop products, managing their entire lifecycle from concept to market, driving user-centric strategies, and fostering international business expansion through vigilant oversight of supply chain and field operations

Managed Global and Life Cycle Management (LCM) fungicides and insecticides projects in row crops and specialty crops within Latin America.

Direct the implementation of all Global and LCM products within Latin America: identify opportunities, link protocols with geographic and regional requirements, assure regulatory compliance, and increase use and profitability.

In response to an announcement of new government regulations, I formed and managed an interdisciplinary team that successfully fast-tracked 700 trials and 20 projects in two years, complying with existing regulations prior to the imposition of new, costly requirements.

· Analysed corporate product-use recommendations on local markets and built a well-reasoned business case that successfully set a new pathway, creating the foundation for label extension and expanded product use to be realized in 2019.

Chosen to showcase a creative use of product trials, led a one-week field instruction for a team from India, exchanging protocols and recommendations that led to successful registration of existing products being registered for the first time for use in India.

Market Development, Field Service:

Provided technical consultation and support to mega-growers, dealers and sales team in the application of existing and developing products in the cerrado area.

Field Biologist, Field Service:

Coordinated test protocols, provided trials, evaluation, and maintenance of test plots for insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides.