“We clicked professionally
and personally”

A life with and for KWS! And now the time has come. Andreas Büchting, an outstanding family business owner, is stepping down from the helm of KWS. Over more than four decades – first as Spokesperson of the Executive Board from 1978, then as Chairperson of the Supervisory Board from 2007 until the end of 2022 – he played a key role in shaping our company, whose evolution he has accompanied from an early age. His retirement from KWS’ supervisory bodies at the 2022 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting gives us the opportunity to pay tribute to the man who is very reluctant to accept plaudits in his own company. Now it is time to shed light on where and how AB – the acronym by which the 75-year-old is known throughout the company – charted the course that continues to keep KWS on its path to success. We spoke with close companions to create this special issue of insideKWS.

Entrepreneur Arend Oetker has been a reliable partner in the share pool of the Büchting and Oetker families since 1994. Especially in his time as a member of the Supervisory Board, he repeatedly stood by Andreas Büchting, giving advice and assistance on strategic decisions and in tricky situations.

How did you get to know Andreas Büchting?

It was in 1994. We were brought together by someone who knew that I wanted to invest and that Andreas Büchting was looking for a long-term family partner, not an institution, but people who would stand behind KWS in the long term. Then we found each other and we clicked not only professionally, but also personally. We hold shared values. We wanted to keep the company independent. That was his goal and mine, too.

At that time there were several takeover attempts by Südzucker. What was your experience of Andreas Büchting during this phase?

Südzucker was always a big customer. It was therefore a really difficult battleground for him. I helped him by always telling the Südzucker board: You can do whatever you want, you’ll never own a majority stake here. I’m the guarantor of that. I’ll never sell these shares, no matter at what price. Nevertheless, the disputes dragged on for almost two decades.

▶ Go to the topic independence

How has Andreas Büchting shaped the company with regard to the use of biotechnology methods?

Biotechnology is a key driver of innovation, and that was his métier. Andreas Büchting knew that and rigorously pursued the use of biotechnology methods in the research and development of new varieties.

▶ Go to the topic Biotechnology

How did he communicate genetic engineering, an issue that is controversial in society?

He did it in exemplary fashion. Always proactively and treating others as equals. When various groups protested before the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, he let them have their say, gave them his time and attention, and said he could understand their concerns. He didn’t win them over, but he did give them a platform. That requires patience and understanding, and he has those qualities. Transparent and open communication were always very important to him. His outstanding skill is his rapport with people. He has always succeeded in motivating employees and also in keeping the family together. This requires a lot of empathy for each individual. He did a fabulous job in this regard, and that is of inestimable value – for the company and the family.

▶ Go to the topic Dialogue and communication

Where do you feel Andreas Büchting stamped his imprint on KWS’ strategic orientation in the 1990s and 2000s?

His great entrepreneurial achievement is corn. Developing corn over decades was very difficult for him to start with. He also drove the company’s internationalization and diversification. We’re now so diversified that we have a big advantage over the others who focused on corn and soybeans, for example. In addition to sugarbeet and corn, we’ve expanded our broad portfolio – from peas to millet to cereals. There’s also the Wiebrechtshausen organic farm. Andreas Büchting believed we also had to do organic farming ourselves, otherwise we wouldn’t have a say. We’ve always been in agreement on all these strategic issues over almost three decades, which is pretty uncommon.

▶ Go to the topics Internationalization | Breeding | Foresight

Did you talk to Mr. Büchting about German reunification?

Of course. He said we couldn’t move back to Klein Wanzleben. But he dearly wanted to do something meaningful there again. That was important for him. That was also due to his sense of tradition. After all, his father had been born in Klein Wanzleben.

▶ Go to the topic Reunification

Handing over entrepreneurial responsibility within the family is often not that easy. How did Andreas Büchting solve that?

Magnificently. He has a successor in Felix Büchting who is capable and motivated. He has been prepared well by his father and by Hagen Duenbostel, who is a great strategist. He has placed the company in good hands in every respect.