International Business Webinar — Seeds of Growth: How AGCO Built a Global Tractor Powerhouse from Atlanta

When Martin Richenhagen joined AGCO Corp. in 2004, it was already a $3 billion publicly traded firm. But sixteen years later, when he retired from his posts as chairman and CEO, it was a Fortune 500 powerhouse combining some of the biggest brands in the business of agricultural equipment. With $10 billion in sales, AGCO doubled in size during his tenure to more than 20,000 employees around the globe.

This extraordinary growth story, rooted in metro Atlanta, is linked with Mr. Richenhagen’s vision to expand aggressively via acquisitions while peering constantly around the corner to see future trends in food and farming.

Rather than being absorbed in the halls of academia, Mr. Richenhagen’s business acumen developed from natural curiosity and hustle, starting during his early years as a religion scholar and French teacher and developing alongside a  love of horses that propelled his ascent to the highest levels of competitive dressage.

Join the Georgia State University CIBER in the latest of its ongoing International Business Webinar series for a discussion with Mr. Richenhagen moderated by Global Atlanta Managing Editor Trevor Williams.

About Martin Richenhagen:

Martin Richenhagen was the first and for many years the only German CEO of a U.S.. Fortune 500 company. Born and raised in Cologne, he studied theology, philosophy and worked as a French teacher before he changed fields and started a successful international business career that led him to 16 years at the helm at AGCO ending in 2020.

Key Takeaways:

• How multinational corporations should navigate a strategy of growth through acquisitions versus organic sales
• Lessons on hiring, training and deploying executives in various emerging and developed markets and across functions, from management to marketing to manufacturing
• How leaders can use embrace cultural differences as an advantage rather than a hindrance