Ostara hires chief technology officer

Ostara, a leader in phosphate fertilizers and nutrient management, has hired Aaron Waltz as chief technology officer.

Waltz has more than 20 years of experience in the agriculture industry and deep agronomic expertise. He began his career at DuPont Pioneer in corn genetics and transgenic traits and has since worked in technology development roles in the adjuvants, biologicals and fertilizer industries.

“Aaron’s skills are highly complementary to the existing executive team and will enable Ostara to realize our vision of global expansion as we increase production of our portfolio of Crystal Green phosphate fertilizers,” said Kerry Cebul, CEO of Ostara, said in a news release. “Aaron’s agronomic expertise, diverse science background and leadership will be critical as we rapidly expand our platform of technologies and significantly increase production to meet grower needs.”

Waltz’s involvement in agriculture began on his family’s farms in Nebraska. He earned a doctorate from The University of Nebraska, and then built a career in crop production and product development. Waltz is driven by his passion for connecting hard-working growers with sustainable technology solutions to help feed the world.

“Ostara has developed a unique foundation of innovative crop nutrition products and technologies that help growers optimize yield, embrace sustainability, and reduce application rates,” Waltz said in the release. “I am excited to join the organization to build on this foundation and accelerate their adoption.”