Syngenta’ s Kris Manning leads a bold shift in enterprise networking, blending AI, security and automation to turn networks from hidden gears into business drivers
SYNGENTA
Syngenta’ s Kris Manning leads a bold shift in enterprise networking, blending AI, security and automation to turn networks from hidden gears into business drivers
In agricultural technology( AgTech), a solid network is more than a foundational utility; it’ s at the forefront of innovation, streamlining operations and scaling. Syngenta, a science-based AgTech business, focuses on supporting farmers in growing food sustainably. However, to achieve the mandate, a sprawling global network is essential. Kris Manning, the Global Head of IT Networks, has led developing and managing its global network systems since joining Sygenta in late 2021.
Kris brings a practicality, shaped by years in the trenches, from programming to networking and then leading technical teams. He points out that while technology evolves, his goal is a network built on“ stability, security, performance and enablement.”
AI’ s role: from alert overload to smarter operations AI is moving from a talking point to a real-world network operation and security tool. Syngenta embraces AI, but Kris says his team approached it thoughtfully, looking for the right fit. He recalls the old way of fixing problems:“ When an issue presented itself an engineer first needed to use an often wide variety of tools, graphs, and logs to build a mental map of the symptoms and datapoints.”
66 August 2025