The Board of Directors of crop inputs and services firm Nutrien Ltd. has named Mayo Schmidt as its chief executive officer and president to succeed Chuck Margo as the executive leaves the company for a new opportunity.

Schmidt’s roles are effective immediately, the company said in a release this month. Nutrien also recently appointed Russ Girling, former president and CTO of TC Energy, as chair of its board.

“Mayo is a remarkable leader who is committed to our values of safety and integrity, our purpose and our strategy focused on sustainability feeding the world,” said Girling in a statement. “Under his leadership, along with our deep and experienced executive leadership team and 27,000 dedicated employees, the board is confident the company is well positioned to continue to grow and create enduring shareholder value.”

The incoming CEO has more than three decades of experience in agriculture. Schmidt became a part of Agrium’s board in 2012 and has served as chair of Nutrien’s board since May 2019. He formerly was president and chief executive officer of Canadian agribusiness Viterra Inc. and has held senior roles at ConAgra Grain Canada and General Mills Inc.

“The outlook for our business is exceptionally strong,” Schmidt said in the release. “I look forward to leading the continued execution of Nutrien’s strategy and driving industry-leading performance across all our lines of business. Over the coming weeks, I will be connecting with our employees, valued customers, and shareholders to continue building our positive momentum and our focus on advancing sustainable solutions to feed a growing planet.”

Margo will remain with Nutrien through May 16 to facilitate the transition. He will also vacate a position on the firm’s board.