Stephen R. Padgette
Monsanto Corporation

Steve Padgette currently serves as Vice-President of Biotechnology for Monsanto Company, with responsibility for the worldwide discovery and development of plant biotechnology products.

After obtaining his B.S. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Steve joined Monsanto in 1984, focusing on the development of enzymes and genes to confer glyphosate tolerance to crop plants. Steve is co-inventor of Roundup Ready technology, the most widely-used crop biotechnology trait in history. He assumed technical project responsibility for glyphosate-tolerant soybean, canola, and cotton in 1989, and led the regulatory science safety studies for these products starting in 1991. Following several years of research in plant metabolic engineering and co-leadership of the Soybean Business Team, he assumed his current role in 1998. During Steve's tenure, Monsanto Biotechnology has strengthened its industry-leading position in the discovery and development of crop biotechnology traits. Steve also has responsibility for Monsanto's external collaboration and alliance strategy for biotechnology. Steve received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University in 2007.

Steve is a member of the Board of Directors of Mendel Biotechnology and Renessen, LLC. He serves on the St. Louis Science Center Board of Trustees, is a member of the External Advisory Board, Georgia Institute of Technology, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, and is a recent member of The Department of Energy's Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee. Steve is also a Monsanto Distinguished Science Fellow. Steve and his family reside in St. Louis, Missouri.