A Chat with Tom Jury: Distinguished Industry Leader at Bayer

Tom Jury: An Unconventional Journey

Tom Jury grew up relatively poor in a small town in Northeast Wisconsin. His career trajectory is somewhat unconventional and a testament to the power of curiosity, collaboration, and relentless pursuit of knowledge. From humble beginnings to a leadership role, his journey highlights the evolution of an industry professional who embraced change and innovation at every step.

Education and Early Career

Tom's academic journey began at a small school, where he pursued a bachelor's degree in biology. His fascination with plants and animals set the stage for his future career. While still an undergraduate, Jury began working for Agrositos, a company that provided genetic transformation services to third-party companies like Monsanto. Barely two weeks into his role, Monsanto acquired Agrositos. This acquisition marked Jury's first experience with company integration, a process that would become a recurring theme in his career. As Monsanto continued to expand by purchasing other companies, Tom witnessed the complexities and challenges of integrating diverse entities within the industry.

Graduate School and Professional Development

After his undergraduate studies, Tom continued working full-time at Monsanto until an opportunity came to pursue graduate education at the University of Wisconsin to study plant breeding and genetic transformations. He balanced full-time work with his coursework, often starting his days at 5 a.m. and working late into the night. This rigorous schedule underscored his dedication to developing a comprehensive understanding of both fields.

Commenting on his decision to go back to graduate school:

“After completing my undergraduate studies, I continued working full-time at Monsanto. This was in the early 2000s when genetic transformations were emerging in plant breeding. Initially, there was a disconnect; those working on transformations feared their products would go into breeding and lose priority, while breeders did not fully appreciate the potential of transformation traits. That was when a mentor suggested I return to grad school to study both areas comprehensively to bridge this gap. Following this advice, I enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, balancing full-time work with my graduate studies. My goal was to gain a deeper understanding of genetic transformation and conventional breeding.”

Choice of an Industry Career

Looking back, Jury acknowledges that his career path was not always clear. He did not initially set out to choose between academia and industry but found the applied aspects of industry work more appealing. His career evolved organically, driven by curiosity and a willingness to embrace new challenges.

Current Role and Impact

Throughout his 27-year career, Tom has held various roles, from biotechnology to breeding, running a station, and being a commercial breeder. He is currently the head of North America field testing, leading a breeding organization with 35 sites across the US and Canada, each with four to fifteen staff members. His team manages all the in-field phenotyping, including planting, plot maintenance, and taking detailed notes using automation, particularly UAVs and new sensing technology. This allows for more accurate and large-scale data collection. The organization comprises approximately 240 full-time employees, with numbers rising significantly during the peak season when seasonal labor is included.

Tom has always been enthusiastic about understanding how environmental factors affect crop performance. This focus on genotype-by-environment (GxE) interactions has become a hallmark of his approach. He has been successful in unraveling these complexities to improve breeding strategies, bringing a unique blend of science and practical application to his leadership.

Surmounting Challenges

 Jury went into detail to discuss the excitement and the challenges that characterize an evolving climate of technological advancements at different stages of his career.

“The most exciting aspect of my job is the opportunity to meet and interact with a diverse group of meaningful and impactful people. We have team members who have just joined and others who have been here for over 30 years. Watching them share their experiences and learn from each other is incredibly satisfying. On the technological side, the constant evolution and rapid changes are fascinating. Being part of this ongoing innovation and scaling these advancements is immensely rewarding. Taking a new idea and seeing it implemented across thousands of locations is gratifying, but this is not without challenges…

...For instance, when I started my career, if someone had told me that tractors would one day drive themselves and we would be taking notes using satellites, I would have thought they were insane. Back then, we were handwriting everything, and such advancements seemed impossible. However, within a few years, the old technology has become outdated."

"Also, as biotechnology evolved, integrating many biotech traits into breeding pipelines was highly controversial. Commercial organizations claimed that customers would not want to pay extra for these traits and did not see their value. However, a group of us recognized their immense value, and today, these traits are present in almost every grower’s field. As a traditional soybean breeder, I witnessed the adoption of techniques like marker-assisted selection and genomic selection (GS). Initially, there was resistance, with many insisting that breeding was more of an art than a science. The truth is, it is a bit of both, but there's more science involved than often acknowledged. Nowadays, every population we create goes through a GS pipeline at some point, allowing us to make selections without even putting plants in the field, thanks to our ability to simulate genetic components and predict performance more accurately. When I transitioned into my current role, we knew that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were part of the future, even though they were not very accurate yet. Many were skeptical, arguing that UAVs would not improve our processes. However, over time, we demonstrated that we could achieve greater accuracy, handle larger scales, and increase the volume of our data sets.

..Now, we are in another transition period, focusing on breeding by design. That is, making intentional breeding decisions earlier in the pipeline rather than characterizing and selecting traits later. Like previous innovations, this approach faces some resistance but is achievable and fast. As we adapt, the next wave of talented individuals will join our workforce and guide us to the next breakthrough."

 As technology advanced, so did the tools available to breeders. Tom noted that he overcame the challenges of constant evolution by staying curious, being open-minded to change, and collaborating while leveraging the strengths of others where necessary.

Personal Philosophies and Interests

Jury acknowledges that managing a large and diverse team requires a strategic approach to leadership. His leadership style is centered on empowering his team, fostering a collaborative environment, and ensuring clear communication of objectives and goals. In his words:

"Early in my career, I learned that micromanaging people only leads to limited success, especially since you always lack all the necessary information. To succeed as a leader, I focus on managing a smaller leadership team and allow managers at different levels to have the opportunity to oversee their responsibilities. My role involves developing and managing these leaders while fostering a community where communication and collaboration are critical. We ensure everyone knows our objectives and constantly evaluate what we are doing to make adjustments when necessary."

Outside of his professional life, Jury is a devoted family man. With a daughter who recently graduated high school and off to college and a son entering his senior year, he cherishes the time spent with his family. His hobbies include sports, particularly football and basketball, and tending to their gardens with his wife, who also shares his passion for horticulture.

Conclusion: Advice for the Future Generation

Looking ahead, Tom, whose favorite quote is "There is nothing permanent, except change," is excited about the challenges and opportunities in his field. He envisions a future where he continues to lead teams and drive innovation in breeding technologies. His approach to career development is flexible and open-minded, focusing on roles that align with his interests and strengths. His journey is a compelling story that exemplifies the impact of continuous learning, adaptability, and teamwork.

In closing, Jury offered this advice to aspiring/graduate and early career professionals:

"As you progress, be open to exploring different paths, but focus on developing yourself collaboratively. Grad students often feel the need to prove their capabilities by working independently. However, the best way to demonstrate your competence is by showing how you've effectively engaged and brought others along with you. Science has advanced to the point where it's impossible to be an expert in everything. For instance, you'll need colleagues specializing in markers, prediction, engineering, and other fields to work together as a community. Therefore, consciously build a vast network as you develop your career."