Orbia Advance Corporation’s precision agriculture business Netafim announced Dec. 16 that it has appointed Melissa Lilze as senior vice president of Netafim North America, effective Jan. 1, 2026. As part of her new role, Lilze will also join Netafim’s executive leadership team. Lilze succeeds Mike Hemman and brings nearly two decades of experience in agriculture and ag tech to the role.
Lilze has been with Orbia Netafim since 2016, starting as a sales representative in California and quickly advancing to lead sales in the Western U.S. Most recently, she served as senior director of sales for North America, where she was instrumental in expanding the business and strengthening customer relationships.
Prior to joining Orbia Netafim, Lilze held national and regional leadership roles in leading ag tech companies, successfully opening new markets, building high-performing sales teams and securing major multiyear agreements with industry partners.
“Melissa’s appointment marks an exciting milestone for Orbia Netafim,” says Gaby Miodownik, president and CEO of Netafim. “Melissa embodies the values and culture we have cultivated over many years of industry leadership. This, combined with her deep industry knowledge, commercial excellence and people-first approach, makes her the ideal fit to lead our North America business, which is a key growth market for Orbia Netafim. We are proud to have Melissa on board our executive leadership team as we continue to deliver real results for farmers across the globe.”
Lilze is the first woman to lead the North America division, joining a growing number of women in senior executive roles across Netafim.
“I’m excited to take on this role and lead our next chapter of growth for Netafim North America,” Lilze says. “Our focus for the coming years is clear: Deliver smarter irrigation solutions that empower growers, strengthen partnerships and drive sustainable impact. My approach starts with listening — to our customers, our teams and the land — because that’s where real innovation begins. Together, we’ll accelerate progress, create value across the supply chain and ensure agriculture and specialty markets thrive for generations to come.”
