Name: Marc Trigilio
Class Year: 1996
Title: Head, Legal Crop Protection North America
Organization Name: Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC
1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?
I lead the Legal department for our US and Canada crop protection business, which requires me to develop and drive legal and business strategy, manage complex litigation and regulatory issues, protect our intellectual property, and enable our business to deliver solutions to help farmers produce food for people in an efficient and sustainable manner.
2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?
I certainly never planned on being an attorney. I was in the pre-med program, so clearly planning out my career was not a strong suit. The unplanned event that had the most impact on my career (and life) was, at the recommendation of several friends, completing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola my senior year. It was during that week of self-reflection and prayer that I made the pivot in my career direction. It led me to law school (where I met my wife) and to my first employer after Holy Cross. I feel incredibly blessed because I can always look back at my journal from that week and see the day/time entry when I made that decision.
3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?
I did a variety of activities at Holy Cross – intramural sports (soccer and football), S.P.U.D. programs with kids at local elementary schools and Catholic churches, and various internships.
4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
I was a Psychology major and in the pre-med program at Holy Cross. I also considered a minor in Spanish, but I decided against it (which was a mistake). I ultimately chose law for a career and Psychology has been incredibly helpful working in a large, diverse multinational organization. With so many theories in Psychology about what drives behavior, I learned to always keep an open mind to understanding others’ possible motivations and concerns, even when they differed from mine. That has allowed me to work with diverse teams and people throughout the business globally and to manage the needs and concerns of the individuals on my team.
5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?
The Jesuit principle of being men and women for others is something I think of every day – I view my role as helping others and helping my company in the important work of helping to feed the planet.
6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?
Have fun, work hard, make friends, and be open to new experiences and ideas – you never know what you may end up liking. Enjoy it all because it passes really quickly. When you graduate, stay connected – Holy Cross has a tremendous alumni community, we want to help, and we are here for you.
