Our Team
Agricen's President and CEO Michael Totora brings world-class solutions to market through pragmatic applications that drive value for growers and partners. Under his stewardship, Agricen has emerged as a market leader in the delivery of applied, biochemical-based solutions for efficient and sustainable plant nutrition.
Agricen's President and CEO Michael Totora brings world-class solutions to market through pragmatic applications that drive value for growers. Under his stewardship, Agricen has emerged as a market leader in the delivery of biocatalyst technologies for efficient and sustainable plant nutrition.
Prior to his current role, Michael held positions both as senior vice president and as chief operating officer of Advanced Microbial Solutions, shepherding the company’s commercialization efforts from 2002 to 2012. Previously, he was a management consultant at the firms ZEFER and C-Change, with clients including Microsoft, Prudential Insurance, GTE, State Farm Insurance, Bell Atlantic, Ford, Netscape, American General Insurance and Citigroup.
Michael brings extensive strategic management experience to Agricen. He has directed teams and clients in articulating business strategies, constructing development plans and developing financial cases. He has also worked on numerous strategic projects, including mergers and acquisitions, new business spin-outs and prioritization and execution of corporate initiatives.
Michael holds a BS in ocean engineering from Florida Atlantic University, with a specialization in underwater acoustics.
As Chief Operating Officer, John Wolf drives Agricen's organizational vision and operational strategies. Previously, John was Agricen's senior director of innovation, with a focus on developing new technologies to improve plant health in agriculture and related industries. John also spent four years in Taiwan as general manager of CH Biotech R&D Co., a Loveland Products partner.
As Chief Operating Officer at Agricen, John Wolf drives the company's organizational vision and operational strategies. In his previous position as Agricen's senior director of innovation, John defined, identified, and led innovation initiatives and strategies, with a focus on developing new technologies to improve plant health in agriculture and related industries.
Previously, John spent four years in Taiwan as general manager of CH Biotech R&D Co., a strategic partner of Loveland Products. Prior to that position, he directed commercial development at Agricen and has also held several management positions at Loveland Products, with responsibilities spanning sales, technical support and marketing within the company's plant nutrition business and sales and marketing of specialty agricultural chemicals in Asia. Earlier in his career, John served as general manager at Applied Spray Technologies and as product manager for the adjuvants and micronutrients business of United Agri Products.
John holds a BSA in agricultural economics from the University of Arkansas.
Scott Lay's history of leadership in the agriculture industry include a strong record of successful sales growth and managerial experience. In his current position at Agricen, he is responsible for advancing opportunities in existing markets and identifying and developing solutions and technologies for new markets, customers and partners.
Scott Lay has a long history of leadership in the agriculture industry, including a strong record of successful sales growth and managerial experience. In his current position at Agricen, he is responsible for advancing current and new opportunities in existing markets and identifying and developing solutions and technologies for new markets, customers and partners.
Previously, Scott served for four years as Midwest area sales manager for Loveland Products, where he grew sales each year to reach nearly $400 million across the central and western cornbelt regions. Prior to that role, Scott was proprietary products manager for five divisions of Crop Production Services (CPS) in Illinois, where he was instrumental in the successful introduction and promotion of leading Loveland brands. He also served in various roles with Bayer CropScience, working with professional farm management, consultants and state commodity managers.
In addition to his business roles, Scott is engaged in a number of community activities, including serving as an elected member of his local Illinois school district’s Board of Education (including three years as president), president of the McLean County Extension Foundation, and president of the Illinois State Ag Alumni Board.
Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business from Illinois State University.
Stephen (Steve) Sexton directs sales from Agricen's Texas headquarters and in the field. Prior to his current appointment, he spent two years in Australia as National Sales Manager of Agricen Australia and Loveland Agri Products, promoting plant nutrition technologies to improve plant health and crop production in Australia.
Stephen (Steve) Sexton directs sales at Agricen's headquarters and in the field. Prior to his current appointment, he spent two years in Australia as National Sales Manager of Agricen Australia and Loveland Agri Products, promoting plant nutrition technologies to improve plant health and crop production in Australia. Previously, he held the position of senior technical sales manager at Advanced Microbial Solutions (now Agricen), focusing on Western Kansas, Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma.
Prior to joining Agricen in 1999, Steve was an active partner of Mayo-Sexton Land & Cattle in the U.S., serving as the farm manager in a diversified operation (crops and livestock) primarily focused on irrigated alfalfa production for dairies. While there, he was involved with Agricen’s initial compaction studies that recorded beneficial corn yields for plots treated with Agricen’s solutions compared to conventional inner-row ripping.
Steve holds a BS in geography from Kansas State University. He earned an MS in geography/cartography from the University of North Dakota, where, as a Master’s thesis, he correlated deviations in annual average temperature and precipitation to the severity of chinch bug outbreaks in Kansas.
Dr. Brian Cornelious brings over two decades of agricultural research expertise to Agricen, with experience spanning corn and soybean breeding and development, seed sales/marketing and field plot design, preparation and maintenance. Prior to his current role, he held the role of Agricen's director of applied sciences for more than a decade.
Dr. Brian Cornelious brings over two decades of agricultural research expertise to Agricen, with experience spanning corn and soybean breeding and development, seed sales/marketing and field plot design, preparation and maintenance.
In his current role as Agricen's Director of Agronomic Training, Brian leverages his many years of experience with field training, customer and partner education and customer relationships. He previously held the role of Agricen's director of applied sciences for more than a decade.
Prior to joining Agricen, Brian managed regional sales at Stine Seed Company. Previously, he worked as a soybean breeder and station manager at Mertec, LLC. He has also held research positions in the AR Soybean Breeding Program and within the Formulations/Bioevalulations and Product Development Groups at Monsanto Company.
Brian currently serves as a board chairman for the Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation and a past board member of Crittenden County, AR 4H and the Soybean Breeders Association.
Brian received his BS in agronomy from the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, and his MS and PhD in plant breeding and genetics from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
As Director of Innovation, Smrithi Rajagopal leads Agricen’s innovation strategy, identifying and pursuing white-space opportunities for biologicals built on the company’s proprietary technologies. She directs a portfolio that balances near-term commercial wins with long-term platform investments, positioning Agricen for sustained growth. To fuel that growth, she spearheads an integrated approach that connects data across the company’s functional disciplines to uncover insights for developing highly targeted solutions.
Previously, as Innovation Manager, Smrithi built the product development function at Agricen. She launched several products that embed Agricen’s technologies into growers’ existing fertilizer programs, making biologicals easier to adopt. She also developed the capability to deliver biostimulant products in new formats, opening opportunities in underserved markets.
Smrithi began her career in 2016 in Process Innovation at Agricen Sciences, Agricen’s sister company. There she developed and scaled Agricen’s proprietary seaweed and organic acid platforms, which underpin Agricen’s position as a leader in biostimulants and have enabled its global expansion. She is a joint inventor on the patent for the organic acid platform. She joined Agricen in 2019.
Smrithi holds an MS in innovation and entrepreneurship from the University of Texas at Dallas, an MS in chemical engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a BS in chemical engineering from Anna University.
Gale "Scott" Baker has over 35 years of regulatory experience, with a background spanning EPA, OSHA and DOT compliance and work with sales, marketing and regulatory bodies in North America, Europe, South Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia and Latin America. At Agricen, Scott helps craft and execute global regulatory strategy.
Gale "Scott" Baker has over 35 years of regulatory experience, with a background spanning EPA, OSHA and DOT compliance and work with sales, marketing and regulatory bodies in North America, Europe, South Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia and Latin America.
In his role as Director of Regulatory Affairs, Scott helps Agricen craft and execute a global regulatory strategy, providing expertise in multidisciplinary project management, product development and marketing to build winning partnerships.
Prior to joining Agricen, Scott spent a decade as director of regulatory at Innvictis Crop Care/J.R. Simplot Company, where he managed EPA and state-related regulatory issues for pesticide and fertilizer products and oversaw seed regulatory needs. Previously, he led a regulatory consulting business and held positions managing registrations and compliance for Loveland Products/United Agri Products.
Darla Huff has over 15 years of leadership experience in the agriculture field with a strong foundation in marketing, brand management, customer relationships, team leadership and cross-functional business operations. She has previously held various management positions at both Advanced Drainage Systems and Dow AgroSciences.
Darla Huff has over 15 years of leadership experience in the agriculture field with a strong foundation in marketing, brand management, customer relationships, team leadership and cross-functional business operations. As Agricen’s Director of Strategy, she works with a range of groups across the organization to analyze market trends, assess internal capabilities, and formulate actionable plans that support both short-term performance and long-term vision.
Before joining Agricen, Darla served as Director of Agriculture for Advanced Drainage Systems, leading the agriculture water management business. Prior to that, she worked at Dow AgroSciences as a rice and peanut herbicide product manager before being promoted to brand manager of Mycogen Seeds.
Darla holds a BS and an MBA from Mississippi State University.
Scott Tutle has over 20 years of experience in the agriculture industry, with a strong foundation in sales leadership, business development and strategic partnerships. In his current role, he looks for growth opportunities and builds strategic partnerships across the industry to bring Agricen’s biological solutions to new markets and customers.
Scott Tutle has over 20 years of experience in the agriculture industry, with a strong foundation in sales leadership, business development and strategic partnerships. As Agricen’s Director of Business Development, he looks for new growth opportunities, builds strategic partnerships across the industry and works with teams throughout the organization to bring Agricen’s biological solutions to new markets and customers.
Before joining Agricen, Scott served as Executive Vice President of Sales for UpTerra, where he led the commercial business through its growth phase. He previously held strategic account and global product management roles at Elemental Enzymes and served as General Manager of North America for Symborg Biologicals, where he led the company’s U.S. and Canadian business. Scott began his career with Monsanto, progressing from research and trait development roles into sales leadership.
Scott holds a BS and an MS in agriculture from Texas Tech University.