Director
Jean-Marcel Ribaut, (based at GCP Headquarters, Mexico)
Joined in July 2005 

Jean-Marcel’s main scientific expertise is in genetic dissection and molecular breeding to improve crop performance under abiotic stress conditions – particularly drought – as well as innovations in molecular breeding.

Besides being at the helm of GCP, Jean-Marcel is an ad hoc reviewer for several highly esteemed scientific journals. He also often serves on organising committees for various international crop research events, and is frequently invited as a lecturer and keynote speaker at international fora.

Since graduating with a PhD in Plant Physiology from Lausanne University, Switzerland, in 1991, Jean-Marcel, of joint Swiss–French nationality, has considerable cumulative experience in agriculture biotechnology and plant breeding, project and finance management and policy formulation, as well as leadership skills for dispersed global R&D teams.

Prior to becoming GCP Director in 2005, Jean-Marcel was based at CIMMYT, Mexico, where – over a 12-year period – he held positions of increasing responsibility. From a postdoctoral fellow in the Maize Programme in 1993, he moved to the Applied Biotechnology Center in 1995 as an Associate Scientist then rose to a Senior Scientist. He thereafter served as Deputy Director, Genetic Resources Programme, and became Biotechnology Group Leader in 2004.

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 Leader Theme 1 (Comparative and applied genomics)
Rajeev Varshney (based at ICRISAT, India)

Joined in August 2007

Rajeev, with a basic background in molecular genetics, has more than ten years research experience in crop genomics. He holds dual positions as Principal Scientist (Applied Genomics) at ICRISAT and Theme 1 Leader for GCP. Before joining ICRISAT in 2005, he worked at Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Germany, for five years.

At ICRISAT, Rajeev leads a legume genomics research group to develop genomic tools applied to crop breeding. He has an impressive publications list, including four edited books and more than 100 research papers/articles in reputable journals. He has been a frequent speaker/chair at international meetings, conferences and leading research institutes across the world. He serves as Subject/Associate Editor for several journals, including Molecular Breeding, Euphytica, Plant Breeding, Plant Genetic Resources and Journal of Plant Biochemistry & Plant Biotechnology.

Based on his contribution to crop genomics applied to breeding, Rajeev has won several awards, including, amongst others, the Young Scientist Medal 2008 from the Indian National Science Academy (INSA); Associate Fellow 2008, awarded by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) of India; and the Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award 2007 from The National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI).

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Leader Theme 2 (Integrated crop breeding); Director of Research and Chair of the Management Team of the Integrated Breeding Platform  
Xavier Delannay (based at St. Louis, Missouri, USA)

Joined in March 2009

Xavier holds a PhD in Plant Genetics from the University of Louvain, Belgium and conducted postdoctoral research in soya bean (Glycine max) genetics at Iowa State University, USA.

Xavier worked for 24 years at the Monsanto company in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, holding positions of increasing responsibility in biotechnology and molecular breeding. Early in his career, he managed a team responsible for the evaluation and development of Monsanto’s first transgenic crops and was in particular involved in the development of the Roundup Ready® Soybeans. In 1995, Xavier implemented Monsanto’s first molecular breeding programme and was a major contributor to the programme’s rapid growth and its integration into Monsanto’s crop breeding worldwide. Prior to taking early retirement from the company in early 2007, Xavier received Monsanto’s Science & Technology Career Award, which recognises scientists who have had a significant impact on the company’s success during their career with the company.

During his short retirement, Xavier also worked as a consultant in molecular breeding, thereby gaining good exposure to international agriculture and to GCP through various fora. 
 
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Leader Theme 3 (Crop information systems); Project Manager, Integrated Breeding Platform 
Graham McLaren (based at GCP Headquarters, Mexico)
Joined in September 2008

Graham holds a wealth of qualifications and experience in the field of international agricultural research and management.

With a degree in Mathematics, Statistics and Genetics from the University of Natal, South Africa and an honours degree in Mathematical Statistics  from the University of Cape Town, Graham, a British national, went on to gain a first-class MSc and PhD in Mathematical Statistics from Simon Fraser University, Canada. He has headed biometrics and bioinformatics departments for the past 20 years. In this capacity, Graham has held leadership positions in rainfed rice breeding, genetic resources management and development of crop information systems. This includes heading the Biometrics and Bioinformatics Unit at IRRI from 1993 to 2005, before moving on in 2006 to lead the IRRI–CIMMYT Crop Research Informatics Laboratory (CRIL), where he remained until 2008 to take on his current role at GCP.

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Leader Theme 4 (Capacity Building); Project Manager, Tropical Legumes I project 
Ndeye Ndack Diop, (based at GCP Headquarters, Mexico)  
 
Joined in January 2011

Ndeye Ndack Diop oversees GCP’s ongoing mission to build technical capacity and establish communities of practice to facilitate the flow of products from research to delivery. She also undertakes the overall coordination of the Legumes Research Initiative (known as TLI).

Ndeye Ndack has an extensive portfolio of expertise in agricultural research, in addition to her multi-layered experience in project management, teaching and training. In addition, she has been an active member of diverse African science councils and committees, most notably the West African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) and the steering committee of the West African Biosciences Network (WABNet) of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), where her work involved setting up strategies for biotech research in West Africa.
  
Originally from Senegal, Ndeye Ndack spent much of her early academic career in Switzerland and France, though she returned to her homeland from 1996–2005 to undertake a research post at the Centre d’étude regional pour l’amélioration de l’adaptation à la sécheresse (CERAAS). This was followed by a brief spell once more in Paris as Ndeye Ndack carried out a postdoctoral research project on drought resistance genetics before crossing the ocean to America where she took up a position as postdoctoral researcher at the University of California–Riverside, USA. There, she continued her specialised work in drought resistance for cowpeas. Her research included field phenotyping, high-throughput SNP genotyping, genetic map development and QTL mapping.

Ndeye Ndack holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences and Techniques and a Master’s in Plant Productivity from the University of Paris, France, and both a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Ndeye Ndack has also published widely in academic journals and taken part in diverse international conferences and congresses.
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Leader Theme 5 (Product delivery)
Larry Butler, (based at GCP Headquarters, Mexico)

Joined in September 2009

Larry holds vast amounts of practical field experience as a professional plant pathologist and agronomist working with temperate, as well as tropical, field and horticultural crops. In recent years his work responsibilities focused upon seed health and the use of novel seed treatments and coatings for quality enhancement.

He was also Chair of the Seed Treatment and Environmental Committee for the American Seed Trade Association, a member of the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology and the American Phytopathological Society.

One of Larry’s early roles was as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji, before becoming the Senior Research Scientist (Plant Pathology) for the Fiji Department of Agriculture. After returning to his native USA he attended the University of Arizona (USA) and graduated with a PhD in Plant Pathology. That same year, Larry joined CIMMYT where, over a 14-year period, he progressed from postdoctoral Fellow to Project Manager and finally to Head of the Seed Health Unit, before returning to the USA as Product Development Manager at Wilbur–Ellis Co. He then moved to Becker Underwood Inc, in Ames, Iowa as Research Biologist and then Technical Manager for Seed Coatings, before taking on his current role at GCP.

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