“…Kate brings tremendous global perspective, a sharp strategic mindset, and 16 years of experience leading high-performance HR teams…”
Kate Jones and family: Jones brings global human resources experience to her new role as Chief Human Resources Officer for Meristem Crop Performance
Meristem Crop Performance®, one of the fastest-growing crop input suppliers in America, has appointed Kate Jones as Chief Human Resources Officer to lead the company’s human capital strategy in support of its rapid expansion.
“Kate brings tremendous global perspective, a sharp strategic mindset, and 16 years of experience leading high-performance HR teams,” said Mitch Eviston, Meristem Founder and CEO. “We’re experiencing significant growth in our products, our performance, and our people — and Kate will be instrumental in building a world-class talent engine to sustain and accelerate that trajectory.”
Jones joins Meristem from Corpay, a global payments leader with $2.6 billion in annual revenue, operations in more than 100 countries, and over 8,500 employees. As Vice President of Human Resources, she helped drive organizational transformation and global workforce strategy during a period of intense growth. Prior to Corpay, she held HR leadership roles at Dollar General and Target, giving her a wide breadth of experience in fast-paced, high-growth industries.
In her new role, Jones will be responsible for shaping Meristem’s long-term people strategy, including talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational design, and culture building — aligning Meristem’s workforce with its business ambitions.
“Our next phase demands that we invest in people with the same focus we bring to innovation and performance,” Jones said. “I’m here to help architect the systems and experiences that will make Meristem the premier destination for top talent in agriculture.”
Jones grew up around agriculture in Olney, Ill., where her father, John Kermicle, served as General Manager of AgriGold and earned respect across the industry for his deep commitment to growers.
“From a young age, I saw how the ag business is built on trust, service, and delivering real value to customers,” she said. “I was exposed to everything — sales, distribution, field relationships — and it taught me how essential people are to meeting the needs of the customer. My mom had a gift for bringing out the strengths in others, and I’ve carried that with me. My leadership approach is rooted in building teams that are aligned, agile, and relentlessly focused on the people we serve.”
Jones now lives in Nashville with her husband, Matt, and their two young children.
“It’s incredibly meaningful to return to the ag space,” she said. “This feels like coming home, and I’m proud to bring my experience back to an industry that shaped me.”
Back to Newsroom