Mike Kerns

Mike Kerns is an experienced professional in the field of plant breeding and genetics, currently serving as the Mid- Late Temperate Germplasm Coordinator and Head of Programs 1 and 2 for Maize at LIMAGRAIN EUROPE since January 2021. Kerns has held various leadership roles including Director of Corn Inbred Line Breeding at AgReliant Genetics, LLC and Global Head of Discovery Breeding for Wheat at BASF. Previous positions include Global Wheat Discovery Breeding Lead at Bayer Crop Science and EMEA Trait Genetics Lead for Vegetables at Monsanto, where Kerns focused on native trait discovery and its application in breeding programs. Kerns began a notable career with Monsanto as a Science Fellow and Corn Breeder, applying genomics and advanced breeding technologies. Kerns also has a background as a German linguist in the US Army. Educational qualifications include a PhD in Quantitative Genetics and an MS in Plant Pathology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as well as a BS in Botany from The Ohio State University.