Origin Agritech Names Global Crop Biotechnology Expert Dr. Jian Zhang to Board of Directors; Welcomes Return of Dr. Z. James Chen as Chief Financial Officer

Appointments Reinforce Deep Technical Expertise in Biotech R&D and Capital Markets Leadership as Origin Advances Its Commercial Pipeline

BEIJING, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Origin Agritech Ltd. (NASDAQ: SEED) (the "Company" or "Origin"), a leading Chinese agricultural technology company, today announced the appointment of Dr. Jian Zhang as an independent member of its Board of Directors and the reappointment of Dr. Zheng James Chen as Chief Financial Officer. Both appointments are effective March 20, 2026.

Dr. Zhang brings to Origin one of the most distinguished careers in global crop biotechnology, with more than two decades of research, regulatory, and executive leadership across DuPont Pioneer, Syngenta, and BASF, three of the world's foremost agricultural life sciences companies. His technical depth across the full crop biotech lifecycle,  from molecular breeding and transgenic trait development to GMO regulatory affairs and commercial stewardship, directly supports Origin's strategy to advance and commercialize its proprietary seed technology pipeline in China and international markets.

Dr. Chen has served Origin in multiple senior capacities over more than a decade, including two separate tenures as CFO and one as Chief Executive Officer. His understanding of Origin's financial architecture, paired with his track record at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and leadership roles at two publicly listed Nasdaq companies, makes him uniquely qualified to lead the Company's financial operations through its next phase.

Dr. Changqing Mao resigned from his position as independent director, effective March 12, 2026, due to new professional commitments. Mr. Chi Kin (Patrick) Cheng resigned as Chief Financial Officer, effective March 19, 2026, for personal development reasons.

"We are building Origin around the most capable leadership team we have fielded," said Dr. Gengchen Han, Chairman of the Board of Origin Agritech. "Dr. Zhang's global credentials in crop biotech R&D are unmatched among any director we could have brought to this Board. His regulatory acumen and commercial track record with the world's leading seed companies, combined with Dr. Chen's deep familiarity with Origin's financial operations and his prior roles at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, give us an executive team fully equipped to drive this company forward. We thank Dr. Mao and Mr. Cheng for their contributions and wish them well in their respective endeavors."

DR. JIAN ZHANG — INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Dr. Zhang, 62, currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of ChinaAg JiaNuo Seed Science and Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. He previously served as Chief Technology Officer of Syngenta Group China Seed Business and as Director of the National Center of Technology Innovation for Maize. As General Manager of Huazhi Rice Biotechnology Co., Ltd., he constructed a world-class crop molecular breeding R&D platform in China.

Over a 20-year career spanning the world's dominant multinational seed companies, Dr. Zhang served as R&D Manager at DuPont Pioneer (now Corteva Agriscience), contributing to the development of the Herculex™ transgenic insect-resistant maize product series as well as Senior Manager of GMO Regulatory and Biotechnology Affairs for China and Asia-Pacific region; and as Global Head of Quality Control for biotech crops at BASF Plant Science. He holds extensive expertise in crop biotechnology R&D, regulatory safety assessment, and biotech compliance and stewardship across the Chinese, Asian, and global markets.

Dr. Zhang holds a Ph.D. in Plant Genetics Manipulation from the University of Nottingham (UK), an M.B.A. from the University of Iowa, and a Bachelor's degree in Crop Genetics and Breeding from China Agricultural University.

DR. ZHENG JAMES CHEN — CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Dr. Chen, 60, rejoins Origin in a role he knows with depth and precision, having previously served as the Company's Chief Financial Officer from January 2012 to January 2016, Chief Executive Officer from February 2018 to December 2018, and Chief Financial Officer again from December 2018 to April 2020. He also served as a member of Origin's Board of Directors from August 2017 to April 2020. His return brings institutional memory and financial continuity at a critical stage of the Company's development.

Prior to rejoining Origin, Dr. Chen served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of China Finance Online and as Chief Financial Officer of Yunji Inc. Earlier in his career, he was an Investment Manager at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), an senior analyst at Morgan Joseph and BB&T Capital Markets, a Product Manager at Celanese, and a License Product Technology Manager at Univation Technologies — a joint venture between ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical.

Dr. Chen holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut and an M.B.A. from New York University.

About Origin Agritech Limited

Origin Agritech Limited, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Origin R&D Center, Songzhuang, Tongzhou in Beijing, is a leading Chinese agricultural technology company. In crop seed biotechnologies, Origin Agritech's phytase corn was the first transgenic corn to receive the Bio-Safety Certificate from China's Ministry of Agriculture. Over the years, Origin has established a robust biotechnology seed pipeline, including products with glyphosate tolerance and pest resistance (Bt) traits. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.originagritech.com. The Company also maintains an X account for updating investors on Company and industry developments which is https://x.com/origin_agritech. 

For more information, please contact:
Origin Agritech Limited Contact:
Kate Lang (Mandarin/English)
Director of Investor Relations
Phone: +86 186-1839-3368
Email: [email protected] 

Investor Relations Contact:
Matthew Abenante, IRC
President
Strategic Investor Relations, LLC
Tel: 347-947-2093
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Origin Agritech