Michael Leader is Head of Regulatory Scientific Affairs – Asia for Bayer CropScience. In this role he is responsible for driving engagement with key scientific stakeholders to advance science-based regulation of agricultural innovations in the Asia region and to make Bayer a credible scientific partner of choice. This includes significant efforts relating to plant breeding innovations, where he has presented at scientific conferences on developments in this area and on the seed industry’s position on the regulation of these new technologies.

He is currently Chair of APSA Standing Committee on Plant Breeding Innovation and the chair of CropLife Asia’s gene editing taskforce and has been a previous Board member and President of the Australian Seed Federation. In his previous role as Bayer’s APAC seed regulatory lead, he has chaired APSA’s ITQ Standing Committee as well as the International Seed Federation’s phytosanitary committee. He has also worked in government biotechnology and quarantine regulatory agencies in Australia, as well as in international biotechnology industry associations. He has a Law Degree and a Science (First Class Honors) Degree in molecular biology from the Australian National University.

Michael, as Chair of APSA’s PBI Standing Committee, will detail some significant regulatory developments for plant breeding innovation in the region this year as well as outlining the key activities of the new Standing Committee in 2024 and plans for 2025.