Ambrogio Yasmine
Manager Research Policy and Project Coordination
Wednesday, 22nd October:
NextGen Forum (open meeting) 09.30-12.00
Background and professional experience:
Yasmine Ambrogio is German-Italian and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management from the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and a Master of Science in Food Quality and Safety from the University of Bayreuth. She worked as a Junior Researcher at the Chair of Food Law at the University of Bayreuth. In this role, she contributed to various research projects and gained valuable experience in the field of food law, policy and project coordination.
In May 2025, Yasmine joined Euroseeds as Manager Research Policy and Project Coordination. In this role, she is responsible for developing Euroseeds’ strategic research agenda and coordinating the organization’s involvement in EU-funded projects.
Bemelmans Hein
Chief Commercial Officer at Enza Zaden and Chair of the SVO Section
Tuesday, 21th October:
SVO Section Vegetables (open): 08.30 – 09.30
Background and professional experience:
Throughout his entire career, Hein Bemelmans has been active in the professional horticultural industry in different roles.
He holds a Bachelors degree in Agricultural Engineering and a Masters degree in Business. After working in the international fresh-produce industry in the US and EU for 20 years, he joined the Enza Zaden Board in 2007 in the role of Chief Commercial Officer. He has held that role since.
During his career in the seed business Hein fulfilled many roles in industry related organisations. He served as the Chairman of Seed Valley, held positions in International commissions in Plantum, he also served at the board of AIB. Currently Hein is serving on the board of Naktuinbouw and Euroseeds and holds the position of the Chair of the vegetable seeds section.
Bergon Guillaume
Technical Manager of the Plant Improvement Division, Head of the Straw Cereals and Protein Crops Section at Union française des semenciers (USF)
Monday, 20th October:
SCP Section Cereals and Pulses (open) – 11.00 – 13.00
Brook Shawn
President Seed World Group
Tuesday, 21th October:
Euroseeds2025 INNOVACTOR Ceremony (open): 16.30 – 17.30
Background and professional experience:
“Doing the right thing may not always be easy, but it is always the right thing!”
Shawn is dedicated to this principle and takes pride in working with a team of exceptionally talented colleagues at Seed World Group. With 30+ years of management experience spanning various private and public sector industries, Shawn focuses on solutions and contributes to shaping the ag communications landscape. His extensive global travels have allowed him to build a vast network and gain diverse experiences, which he leverages to help clients enhance their businesses and maximize their return on investment. Shawn brings a systematic approach to business development growth that allows teams to not just come together but demand success. Remember that if you are not telling your story – who is? Content is king, and flawless execution is essential!
Bouquet Etienne
Associate Marketing Director – Europe Middle East Africa,Soybean, Alfalfa, Cotton Portfolio Marketing Leader and Seed Licensing Manager Corteva agriscience™ and Chair of SOF Section
Monday, 20th October:
SOF Section Oil and Fibre (open) – 14.00 – 16.00
Background and professional experience:
Etienne Bouquet is leading the Soybean, Alfalfa and Cotton seeds Portfolio as well the seed licensing activities in Europe. In this role, he develops the Portfolio and Licensing strategy for Europe, and coordinates their implementation with the local commercial teams.
Prior to his current function, Etienne Bouquet was General Manager of Dow Seeds Europe (2015-2017), Dow AgroSciences based in Rastatt, Germany.
Before, he was Corn and oilseeds Portfolio Marketing Leader, Dow Seeds Europe (2014-2015), based in Germany; Early Stage Commercial Assessment Leader (2010-2014), based in Indianapolis, United States; and Marketing Specialist Dow Seeds Europe (2008-2010), based in Nice, France.
He started his career with Dow AgroSciences Crop Protection in Sales in 1996 and moved through sales, marketing, and geographical roles.
Etienne Bouquet holds an Engineer’s degree in Agronomy from the National Agronomy School of Rennes, France.
Bruins Marcel
Seed World Europe Editorial Director
Monday, 20th October:
Section Cereals and Pulses (open) – 11.00 – 13.00
Background and professional experience:
Marcel Bruins studied plant breeding and plant pathology at the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands and received a PhD for the research he did in Fusarium resistance in wheat. After that he worked for 10 years at plant breeding company Seminis Vegetables Seeds as manager of Plant Variety Protection. In 2007 he became secretary-general at the International Seed Federation (ISF) and guided the ISF into the modern era of communication, and greatly increased the service to its members. After seven successful years at ISF, he started as an independent consultant in the seed business. He led the secretariat of the International Grain Trade Coalition (IGTC) through a phase of transition and continued working as their scientific advisor. Besides being the editorial director of European Seed magazine, he has been helping profit and non-profit organizations in the seed and grain sector with their questions on the seed industry and their ever-increasing regulations, plant breeding, plant breeders’ rights, intellectual property, trade facilitation and international outreach.
Ciabatti Ilaria
Policy Officer at Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Monday, 20th October:
SFG Section Forages and Grasses (open) – 16.30 – 18.30
Background and professional experience:
With a career spanning more than three decades, Ilaria Ciabatti combines scientific expertise with policy leadership at the European level. Since 2019, she has served as a Policy Officer at the European Commission in Brussels, contributing to the design and implementation of policies shaping Europe’s food and health sectors. Previously, she spent nearly 25 years at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Lazio e Toscana, advancing from Scientific Researcher to Head of Laboratory, where she led research and diagnostic programs in veterinary and food safety. Her academic background includes research roles at Sapienza University of Rome and Leiden University, building a strong foundation in scientific inquiry that continues to inform her policy work today.
Ciacci Mery
International Policy Officer at the European Commission Directorate-General for the Environment (DG Environment)
Tuesday, 21th October:
SPO Section Potatoes (open): 10.00 – 11.30
Background and professional experience:
Mery Ciacci works as International Policy Officer at the European Commission, DG Environment, in the Multilateral Environmental Cooperation Unit. She is the ABS Focal Point for the EU. Her main tasks focus on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and the development of ABS policy and measures in the EU. She also follows international processes, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Meeting of the Parties of the Nagoya Protocol, the Open Ended Working group on Digital Sequence Information, and ABS-related processes under FAO and WHO. Previously, she has worked at the Italian Ministry of Environment as a legal and policy adviser on ABS, biodiversity and marine issues. She holds a PhD in International and European Law from the European University Institute (Florence, IT) and has several years of experience as lecturer in Law and Bioethics, environmental law and EU external relations law at the University of Siena.
Colliot Nicolas
Field Crops Strategy and Portfolio Management at SYNGENTA
Monday, 20th October:
SPO Section Oil and Fibre (open): 14.00 – 16.00
Background and professional experience:
Nicolas Colliot studied general economics and started his career in other businesses (Luxury goods, Pharmaceuticals) but fell in love with Seeds when he joined Syngenta in 2007. After several positions in Finance and Marketing, Nicolas is currently in charge of the Strategy and Portfolio management for Field Crops seeds at Syngenta Europe.
Chernokova Darya
Manager Project Communications and Team Support
Wednesday, 22nd October:
NextGen Forum (open meeting) 09.30-12.00
Background and professional experience:
Darya Chernokova is Ukrainian and has a Bachelor’s degree in Philology from National University of Kyiv, Ukraine and a Master’s degree in Communications Studies from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.
She started her career in communications in Brussels with two internships: at a think tank Carnegie Europe where she mainly focused on digital communications, and at EUROCONTROL where she worked at the HR department on recruitment campaigns and branding of the agency.
Darya joined Euroseeds in 2019 and is responsible for communication and dissemination activities of EU-funded research and innovation projects (H2020 and Horizon Europe funding programmes), including the development of communication and dissemination strategy, social media and website management, designing digital communication material (visuals for social media, video production, data visualisation), newsletters etc.
Together with Euroseeds Manager Communication, Darya is assisting in the organisation of the annual Euroseeds Congress, including the coordination of the event organising team and live coverage of the event on social media.
In addition, she provides administrative support to the Secretariat team.
Detterbeck Amelie
Manager Research Projects and Innovation Transfer
Wednesday, 22nd October:
NextGen Forum (open meeting) 09.30-12.00
Background and professional experience:
Amelie is German and studied Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences and Molecular Ecology at the Technical University of Munich and at the University of Bayreuth. She completed her PhD at the University of Bayreuth and at the University of Copenhagen shedding light on the mechanisms of micronutrient accumulation in barley seeds.
In November 2018, Amelie joined Euroseeds as Manager Research Projects and Innovation Transfer. She is providing expertise and support on the valorisation of research results in several Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe research and innovation projects.
Devisme Paul
Deputy General Manager for Europe at Limagrain and Chair of SMS Section
Monday, 20th October:
SMS Section Maize and Sorghum (open) – 08.30 – 10.30
Background and professional experience:
In October 2024, Paul Devisme, Deputy General Manager for Europe, with Limagrain, became the new head of the corn and sorghum division of Euroseeds – an organization that represents all seed producers at the European level.
Paul Devisme worked on different continents (Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa), first in the field of gardener’s seeds, with Vilmorin-Mikado, then with HM Clause, before joining the Limagrain Group in June 2023, where he covered a wider range of seeds. Within Euroseeds, he supports the new – sorghum – challenge with much enthusiasm.
The corn and sorghum division of Euroseeds is made up of forty-eight members who come from different seed companies. They gather twice a year.
Elmegaard Nils
Secretary General at Danish Seed Association and Chair of the SFG Section
Monday, 20th October:
SFG Section Forages and Grasses (open) – 16.30 – 18.30
Background and professional experience :
Nils Elmegaard is Secretary General at the Danish Seed Association. In the past, he worked for Cand.agro (1991) and as an agricultural college teacher (1992-1996). Afterwards, he joined the Danish Agricultural Council (2001-2006). After that, he joined the Danish Seed Council (2007-2012). He joined the Danish Seed Association (2015), where he covers the position of Secretary General.
Ekvad Martin
Director of Legal Affairs at International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)
Monday, 20th October:
SFG Section Cereals and Pulses (open) – 11.00 – 13.00
Background and professional experience :
Mr. Martin Ekvad is the Director of Legal Affairs at the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), a position he has held since October 2023.
From 2021 to 2023, he founded and led Ekvad Consulting, advising clients primarily on intellectual property rights and EU regulatory affairs. Prior to that, he served as President of the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) from 2011 to 2021, where he oversaw the granting of intellectual property rights for new plant varieties within the European Union.
Earlier in his career, he was Head of the Legal Unit at CPVO (2003–2011) and practiced law as an Avocat at Linklaters in Brussels and Magnusson Wahlin Advokatbyrå in Stockholm (1996–2003), focusing on intellectual property rights and competition law. He began his legal career at the Swedish civil court (1994–1996).
He holds a law degree from the University of Lund, Sweden, and an LL.M. from King’s College London.
Eriksen Birger
Managing Director at Sejet Planteforædling (Danish Breeders Association) and Chair of the SCP Section
Monday, 20th October:
SCP Section Cereals and Pulses (open) – 11.00 – 13.00
Background and professional experience:
Birger Eriksen is Danish and holds an M.Sc. in Agriculture from Copenhagen University (1987). He has dedicated his entire career to the plant breeding sector, primarily at Sejet Plant Breeding, where he led barley research and breeding for 25 years before becoming Managing Director in 2015.
As head of the winter and spring barley program, Birger has been involved in every stage of breeding — from selection and registration to IP rights and marketing. Sejet Plant Breeding is part of the DLG Group, a leading farm supply company with major activities in Denmark, Sweden, and Germany, where Birger has contributed to all aspects of seed-related activities.
Since 2014, he has served as Chairman of the Danish Breeders Association (Variety Denmark) and has participated in numerous national and international research initiatives, acting as both member and chairman of various steering committees.
Garbato Francesca
Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs Manager at Euroseeds
Monday, 20th October:
SCP Section Cereals and Pulses (open) – 11.00 – 13.00
Background and professional experience:
Francesca is Italian and holds a Master Degree in Law from the University of Bologna, an LL.M. in International Business Law from the University of Tilburg and an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law and Knowledge Management from the University of Maastricht.
Francesca worked as an Intellectual Property Law expert in different international organisations and has extensive knowledge in this field.
Francesca joined the Euroseeds team in December 2023 as Manager Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs and advises on IP and legal matters.
Gaspar Csaba
Head of Section, OECD Codes and Schemes – Trade and Agriculture Directorate, Codes & Schemes
Monday, 20th October:
SCP Section Cereals and Pulses (open) – 11.00 – 13.00
Background and professional experience:
Gaspar Csaba studied Horticulture and Biotechnology at the Corvinus University of Budapest in Hungary. He started his career as a food and phytosanitary inspector in the Hungarian Food-Chain Safety Office where he did certification inspections and quality control of fruit and vegetables for 5 years. He was also responsible for international relations and represented Hungary at OECD, UN and EU meetings.
He moved to the OECD in 2006 where he first worked as an Agricultural Policy Analyst at the OECD Codes and Schemes Unit for 8 years. He was responsible for the coordination of the OECD certification systems for fruit and vegetables and forest reproductive materials. He is currently the Programme Manager of the OECD Seed Schemes and the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme since 2015.
Gaspar Csaba served as Chair of the Specialized Section on Dry and Dried Products and Vice-Chair of the Working Party 7 on Agricultural Standards at the United Nations Economic Cooperation for Europe (UNECE) between 2004-2006.
Giraud Sylvain
Head of Unit at European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) at European Commission
Monday, 20th October:
SCP Section Cereals and Pulses (open) – 11.00 – 13.00
Background and professional experience:
Sylvain Giraud is the Head of Unit “Medical products: quality, safety and innovation” in the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission (DG SANTE). The unit is in charge of EU level policy developments on quality, availability and affordability of medicines and supervises important aspects of the implementation of EU legislation, the implementation of the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe and the coordination of international cooperation on medicines policy. In previous Head of Unit positions in DG SANTE in the last 10 years Sylvain has been dealing with Health Systems, global health and EU health policy coordination.
Gomez Martin
Development Manager (FNPSMS)
Monday, 20th October:
SMS Section Maize and Sorghum (open): – 08.30 – 10.30
Background and professional experience:
I worked for 4 years as product manager in the fi eld of grain storage sanitation product. Today I work as the National Federation of Maize and Sorghum Seeds Production promoting the know-how and the spectacular innovation capacity of Seeds companies and multipliers located in France. My mission within Sorghum ID association focus on gathering all European sorghum stakeholders and bringing new ideas and energy to develop a European sorghum sector.
González César
Manager Public Affairs
Monday, 20th October:
SFG Section Forages and Grasses (open) – 16.30 – 18.30
Tuesday, 21th October:
SVO Section Vegetables (open): 08.30 – 09.30
Background and professional experience:
César is Spanish and studied agricultural engineering at the Technical Universities of Catalonia and Madrid. He started his career as researcher on crop sustainability at ETSIA Madrid and, since then, he has been involved in agricultural and rural development policies at Spanish and European level. Before joining Euroseeds, César was senior policy advisor on phytosanitary questions at the organisation representing European farmers and agri-cooperatives.
César joined Euroseeds in September 2018 and is responsible for developing and implementing outreach and advocacy strategies on seed industry related policy and regulatory issues, specifically towards the EU institutions and key agri-food chain organisations. He also works on research and innovation policies and represents Euroseeds in the ‘Plants for the Future’ technology platform.
Guillaumin Pierre
Market research and international development at the French National Federation for Maize & Sorghum Seed Production (FNPSMS)
Monday, 20th October:
SMS Section Maize and Sorghum (open): – 08.30 – 10.30
Background and professional experience:
For more than 10 years Pierre Guillaumin has been working at the French National Federation of Seed Corn and Seed Sorghum (FNPSMS).
He is mainly focused on market research and international development, with the aim to improve and develop synergies and partnerships between all the stakeholders of the seed corn and seed sorghum value chains, in France and internationally.
Halbye Søren
Group CEO, DLF
Tuesday, 21th October:
Assembly General (open part): 14.00 – 16.00
Background and professional experience:
Søren Halbye was born in Northern part of Denmark in 1969 and holds two Master degrees within Business Administration. After graduation in 1997 he worked 6 years with medical devices for Beiersdorf and 4 years in Novozymes within business development before joining DLF Seeds A/S as Chief Commercial Officer in 2006. Since November 2022, Søren Halbye has been appointed as Group CEO in DLF. Moreover he is member of ISF Forage and Turf section since 2012. On national level he is since 2010 Chairman of the Danish Seed Traders Association.
Since 2017, Søren has been Chairman of the Euroseeds Section Forage Plants and Amenity Grasses, and in 2021, he became Vice-President of Euroseeds. In 2024, Søren assumed the post of the Euroseeds President.
Hopkins Anthony
Head of Policy at British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB)
Monday, 20th October:
SMS Section Maize and Sorghum (open) – 08.30 – 10.30
Background and professional experience:
Anthony Hopkins joined the BSPB in January 2024 after several roles at the National Farmers Union, most recently as Chief Crops Adviser. He owns a PhD in party political strategy and a background working across the full range of agricultural policy areas, and in particular plant health, crop nutrition, genetic innovation, trade, and the interaction of these policy areas on productivity and sustainability.
Hullmann Christiane
Consul General at Federal Foreign Office Germany in the UK
Tuesday, 21th October:
Assembly General – Open Part (open) -14.00 – 16.00
Background and professional experience:
Christiane Hullmann is a lawyer by training, with studies in Bonn and Geneva and a bar exam in Berlin. She joined the Foreign Office in 2003. Her career started in the Department for European Affairs with a focus on legal issues and justice and home affairs, esp. migration, including a five months stage at the European Commission (Directorate General for Justice and Home Affairs). Afterwards, she served at the German Embassy in Kiev as Head of the Legal and Consular Department. After her return to the Federal Foreign Office she took up a position in the Human Resources Division. Then she continued at the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in New York, where she was working on issues related to human rights (esp. resolutions on the right to privacy in the digital age and the right to water and sanitation), protection of civilians and Ukraine. She was the Head of the Western Balkans Division at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin before being appointed Consul General at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany in the UK in Edinburgh.
Judson Jean-Paul
Founder at NowMore
Monday, 20th October:
SMS Section Maize and Sorghum (open) – 08.30 – 10.30
Background and professional experience:
Being half-English, half-French, Jean-Paul Judson combines two approaches to life: whether it’s in law, politics, education, comedy or culture, nothing can be more different than each side of the Channel. This is why he learnt to contemplate sometimes contradicting options before making a decision – which makes him, profoundly, a moderator.
From his experience in European public affairs, his areas of expertise are: local, regional and urban policy; research & innovation; plant breeding, seed production and agriculture; climate action and circular economy; packaging; sports; gender politics.
Jean-Paul speaks English, French and Spanish.
Kafka Amalia
Technical Manager Sustainable Seed Technologies
Monday, 20th October:
SFG Section Forages and Grasses (open) – 16.30 – 18.30
Tuesday, 21st October:
SPO Section Potatoes (open) – 08.00 – 09.30
Background and professional experience:
Amalia is Greek and is agronomist by training. She graduated from Wageningen University in the Netherlands with a double MSc in Plant Science and Food Safety & Food Quality Management. She also holds an MSc in Plant Protection from the Agricultural University of Athens.
After her studies, she worked as auditor for the certification of PDO and PGI products. Additionally, she participated in research projects of the European Food Safety Authority and the Catholic University of Italy.
Within Euroseeds, Amalia is responsible of issues related to plant protection and more specifically, for their sustainable application to seeds through seed treatments technologies or during seed production.
Amalia is also managing the crop sections seed potatoes and sugar beet.
Kallmorgen Jan Friedrich
Partner at EY-Parthenon, EY Strategy & Transactions GmbH (Ernst and Young)
Tuesday, 21th October:
Assembly General – Open Part (open) -14.00 – 16.00
Background and professional experience:
Jan Friedrich Kallmorgen is a partner responsible for geopolitical strategy consulting at EY Germany. He primarily works with senior management of companies and investment firms on risk management and growth strategies in a rapidly changing global environment. He also supports the expansion of EY’s European Defense and Security Initiative.
Jan Kallmorgen draws on 20 years of professional experience at the World Bank, Goldman Sachs, the German Council on Foreign Relations, and as an advisor to NATO and the German Federal Government. He regularly interacts with CEOs, government officials, military personnel, and think tanks and is the author of a bestseller on geopolitical risk management. Before joining EY in 2024, he founded several think tanks and public affairs firms and headed Germany’s leading geopolitical consulting firm.
Jan Kallmorgen regularly publishes articles and lectures on geostrategic topics and teaches at various universities. He volunteers for Atlantik-Brücke, the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany, the Economic Council of the CDU, the Georgetown University Alumni Club, and the Order of St. John. He lives in Berlin with his wife and three children.
Keller Michael
Secretary General at International Seed Federation (ISF)
Tuesday, 21th October:
SPO Section Potatoes (open): 10.00 – 11.30
Background and professional experience:
Michael Keller is Secretary General of the International Seed Federation (June 2014 to present), focusing on the vision of a world where quality seed is accessible to all farmers to support sustainable agriculture and food security. In line with ISF’s mission, Michael is engaged in creating, through collaboration, an enabling environment for the private seed sector.
Through long-standing involvement at national and international levels, he has an extensive knowledge and understanding of cooperation within the private sector and with non-governmental and civil society organizations.
In 2022, he was elected Chair of the International Agri-Food Network (IAFN), which is the elected focal point of the Private Sector Mechanism (PSM) of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS). He served as Chair of the PSM from 2022 to 2024.
He currently serves as a member of the Board of the World Agriculture Forum (WAF).
His field of expertise spans a wide range of topics including seed, agriculture, food security, Sustainable Development Goals, law, policy and advocacy.
Prior to joining ISF, Michael worked in the French Senate as a Parliamentary Advisor, as Head of European and International Affairs of the Mayor’s Association of France and in different positions at DuPont de Nemours and Pioneer Seed.
Michael studied law in Germany (Law State examination) and holds a post-graduate in law from the Paris-Sorbonne University. He spent time in Switzerland, Tunisia and France for trainings in international law and political science.
Kliemann Annette
Agricultural Counsellor at the Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom
Monday, 20th October:
SMS Section Maize and Sorghum (open) – 08.30 – 10.30
Background and professional experience:
Annette Kliemann is currently Agricultural Counsellor at the Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom, with over 25 years of experience in EU competition, agricultural, and food policy. She has held senior roles at the European Commission, the EFTA Surveillance Authority, and in private practice, working extensively on state aid, competition law, CAP reform, and the governance of agri-food markets.
Kopše Alwin
Chair of the GB 11 at the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and Head of the International Affairs & Food Systems of the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG)
Tuesday, 21th October:
SPO Section Potatoes (open): 10.00 – 11.30
Background and professional experience:
Lustig Jeroen
CEO and Founder at A-INSIGHTS
Tuesday, 21th October:
SVO Section Vegetables (open): 08.00 – 09.30
Background and professional experience:
Jeroen Lustig is the founder of A-INSIGHTS, a leading SaaS provider that empowers companies to build and scale their Market Intelligence capabilities. With over 15 years of experience, he has supported more than 300 organizations from multiple sectors, like food manufacturing, seeds, retail, etc. in transforming data into strategic insights and competitive advantage. Blending AI-driven analytics with real-world application, Jeroen shows how strong Market Intelligence helps businesses cut through the noise, outsmart the competition, and win in tomorrow’s market.
Mattina Francesco
President at Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO)
Monday, 20th October:
SCP Section Cereals and Pulses (open) – 11.00 – 13.00
Background and professional experience:
Francesco Mattina is a lawyer specialized in European Union law and intellectual property law. He joined the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) in 2013 after gaining international experience in private law firms as a partner and in the EU public sector as a senior legal advisor in industrial property at the EU Agency for Intellectual Property (EUIPO).
Marondedze Claudius
Euroseeds Technical Manager Plant Health and Seed Trade
Tuesday, 21th October:
SVO Section Vegetables (open): 08.00 – 09.30
Background and professional experience:
Claudius is Zimbabwean and a French resident. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa following a BSc Honours in Biochemistry from the University of Zimbabwe.
Claudius has several years of international research experience in plant functional biology and seed physiology. In 2010, he joined King Abdullah University of Science and Technology as a postdoctoral fellow and in 2015, he joined the University of Cambridge as a research fellow in the department of biochemistry. In 2017, he received a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship and joined the Laboratoire Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale at CEA in Grenoble, France. Since 2020, he was Researcher Seed Technology at Rijk Zwaan in the Netherlands.
Claudius joined Euroseeds in September 2021 as Technical Manager Plant Health and Seed Trade.
Pasquini Sergio
Vice President ISTA
Tuesday, 21th October:
SVO Section Vegetables (open): 08.00 – 09.30
Background and professional experience:
Sergio is an experienced agronomist with over 35 years of experience in the evaluation of agricultural and forestry seed quality with a strong focus on ISTA methods. He currently serves as Tez TCOM Chair and quality manager at ITML06 the seed testing laboratory managed by Carabinieri in Italy.
van Leeuwen Marco
Managing Director of Rijk Zwaan and Vice-President of Euroseeds
Wednesday, 22nd October:
NextGen Forum (open meeting) 09.30-12.00
Background and professional experience:
Marco van Leeuwen is Managing Director of Rijk Zwaan, a position he has held for the last 15 years. His areas of interest include commercial affairs, seed production and logistics. He is an alumni of IESE Business School.
After his agricultural business management study in 1993, Marco started working for Dutch vegetable seed breeding company Rijk Zwaan. Since then he has held several roles related to seed operations, marketing & sales before he was appointed as Managing Director in 2009. In this position, Marco wants to contribute towards sustainable global food production and food security with healthy vegetables.
Next to his role in Rijk Zwaan, Marco has held several (board) positions in the seed industry, amongst others as Chair of the Anti-Infringement Bureau (AIB) and President of the International Seed Federation (ISF). Currently he is and Vice-President and
member of the Executive Committee of Euroseeds.
Mertens Andrea
Lead of Expert Hub Legal, Global Legal and IP at KWS
Tuesday, 21th October:
SPO Section Potatoes (open): 10.00 – 11.30
Background and professional experience:
Andrea Mertens is currently Lead of the Expert Hub Legal at KWS Group, where she manages multicultural teams and oversees due diligence processes. Before this role, she worked as Senior Compliance Officer at KWS SAAT SE, focusing on compliance, KYC, and risk management.
From 2016 to 2019, Andrea was Manager of Agricultural Policy & Stakeholder Affairs at Bayer Crop Science, where she engaged with policy frameworks and industry stakeholders to support sustainable agricultural innovation.
Earlier, she spent nearly a decade as Attorney at Law and Head of the Seed Trade Department at the German Plant Breeders’ Association (BDP), advising on seed law, trade issues, and regulatory frameworks in Germany and the EU.
Andrea began her career in private practice as an Attorney at Law, building a strong foundation in legal advisory before moving into the agricultural and seed sector. Her career combines deep legal expertise with a strong understanding of compliance, policy, and stakeholder engagement in the agricultural industry.
Moore Nigel
Head of Food Ingredients for KWS Saat SE &Co. KGaA
Monday, 20th October:
SOF Section Oil and Fibre (open) – 14.00 – 16.00
Background and professional experience :
Nigel Moore has 35 years working in the plant breeding and seeds sector in senior roles. The ‘red thread’ throughout his career has been plant variety and seeds regulations and IP protection. A past president of Euroseeds, and most recently he has been establishing a new business area within KWS focused on breeding crops for improved plant -based food ingredients markets.
Nnadozie Kent
Secretary of the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Tuesday, 21th October:
SPO Section Potatoes (open): 10.00 – 11.30
Background and professional experience:
Dr. Kent Nnadozie is the Secretary of the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Over the last two decades, Mr Nnadozie has worked on legal and policy matters and intergovernmental processes related to Agriculture and Environment, including the International Treaty and FAO’s Commission for Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
Before joining FAO, Mr Nnadozie was in private legal practice and academic research. A lawyer by training, Mr Nnadozie holds a Doctorate in Law from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, with a focus on international relations and international legal issues related to genetic resources. Mr Nnadozie also has a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) and a bachelor’s degree in Law.
Pâris Ludovic
Regulatory Affairs Officer at Limagrain
Tuesday, 21th October:
SPO Section Potatoes (open): 10.00 – 11.30
Background and professional experience:
Ludovic Pâris is Regulatory Affairs Officer at Limagrain, a position he has held since 2019, where he monitors, anticipates, and clarifies regulatory issues related to seeds, while actively contributing to the development and promotion of company and industry positions. He also serves as Chairman of the Euroseeds Committee on Plant Genetic Resources and Vice-Chairman of ISF’s Coordination Group on Genetic Resources, underlining his strong leadership role at both European and international levels.
Before joining Limagrain, Ludovic spent over ten years at FranceAgriMer, where he held various responsibilities including Head of Evaluation Unit and Field Crops Representative, acting as a key link between the French agriculture ministry, public administration, and the main stakeholders of cereals, oilseeds, protein crops, and sugar sectors.
Earlier in his career, Ludovic worked at Viniflhor and ONIVINS, where he was responsible for European affairs, vineyard restructuring, and wine production potential management, contributing to regulatory reforms and supporting the modernization of the viticulture sector. His career began as an oenologist and cellar master in Switzerland, France, and Greece, providing him with a hands-on understanding of agricultural production and its regulatory frameworks.
With more than 25 years of experience across public institutions, international organizations, and industry, Ludovic brings a deep expertise in regulatory frameworks, genetic resources, and agricultural policy to the seed sector.
Pisani Federico Vittorio
Manager Development Cooperation and Genetic Resources at Euroseeds
Tuesday, 21th October:
SPO Section Potatoes (open): 10.00 – 11.30
Background and professional experience:
Federico is an Italian national with a background in economics and international affairs. He holds a Master’s in International Affairs, Global Economic Affairs track, from Boston University, USA, and a BSc in Economics from Bocconi University, Milan, Italy.
He began his career as a researcher and teaching assistant at Boston University, focusing on development and health economics, before returning to Brussels to specialize in public policy, European, and international affairs. Since then, he has been actively engaged in public and industrial policies at both the national and European levels.
Before joining Euroseeds, Federico served as a Senior Government Affairs and Policy Specialist at Illumina, a global leader in DNA sequencing, genomics, agrigenomics, and multi-omics, where he focused on advocacy and policy engagement.
In March 2025, Federico joined Euroseeds, where he is responsible for developing and implementing international development cooperation projects within the seed industry, working closely with EU and international institutions as well as key agri-food stakeholders. Additionally, he oversees genetic resources within the organization.
He is fluent in English, Italian, and French.
Popplewell Hugo
Joint Head of EU SPS Agreement, EU & International Trade at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
Monday, 20th October:
SPO Section Maize and Sorghum (open): 08.30 – 10.30
Background and professional experience:
Hugo Popplewell works for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), where he co-leads the team responsible for negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU. Hugo has over a decade’s experience working on public policy and international trade in Defra and HM Treasury, including leading negotiations on SPS and animal welfare provisions in the UK’s new free trade agreements following EU Exit, and working on negotiation of the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement.
Popov Branislava
Technical Manager Variety Testing and Registration
Monday, 20th October:
SMS Section Maize and Sorghum (open) – 08.30 – 10.30
SOF Section Oil and Fibre (open) – 14.00 – 16.00
SFG Section Forages and Grasses (open) – 16.30 – 18.30
Background and professional experience:
Branislava has Serbian and Hungarian nationality. She obtained a Bachelor in Horticulture and a Master degree in Plant Breeding and Genetics from the University of Novi Sad, Serbia.
After her studies, she worked in various roles, focusing on plant breeding, plant variety protection processes, DUS testing, plant propagation, and fruit production, including business aspects of the horticulture industry.
Branislava joined Euroseeds in February 2025 as Technical Manager Variety Registration and Seed Marketing.
Renatus Jörg
Managing Director at EUROPLANT Pflanzenzucht and Chair of the SPO Section
Tuesday, 21th October:
SPO Section Potatoes (open): 10.00 – 11.30
Background and professional experience:
Jörg Renatus was born in 1962 and holds a degree in Business Administration. His professional experience results from several employments within the potato industry. In 1986 he started his career as export manager in a midsize potato breeding and trade organization. Later on he was appointed as Managing Director of this group of companies. Having gained a vast knowledge in national and international potato breeding and trade industry, he joined in 2002 EUROPLANT Pflanzenzucht, Lüneburg, one of the leading companies in this industry.
Since 2012 Jörg is Chairman of the Section Potatoes (SPO) and member of the Board.
Ribbons Duncan
VP IP & Regulatory at Tropic
Monday, 20th October:
SFG Section Forages and Grasses (open): 16.30 – 18.30
Background and professional experience:
Duncan Ribbons is an accomplished IP and legal professional with over 20 years’ international experience in life sciences. He joins from IQVIA where he served as Associate General Counsel and was a founding member of the senior leadership team of a newly established global business unit with revenues >$5BN. Prior roles include Director of IP at Juul Labs – the fastest company in history to achieve $10BN valuation – where he crafted the IP strategy to support rapid international expansion and win the trust of customers, regulators and policymakers, and General Counsel and Global Head of Transactions at Celixir – a clinical stage, cell therapy company founded by Nobel Prize winner, Prof Sir Martin Evans – where he was responsible for several transformative deals including collaborations, out licensing and M&A. Duncan studied biochemistry at University Cambridge before starting his legal career at Herbert Smith and moving to Redd where he was an Equity Partner.
Richter Andrea
Head Of SBU Oilseed Rape at KWS
Monday, 20th October:
SOF Section Oil and Fibre (open) – 14.00 – 16.00
Background and professional experience:
Andrea Richter holds a PhD in Plant Biotechnology from the University of Hanover and has built extensive experience in the seed sector over the past years. Her career path includes positions at Monsanto, DSV/Rapool, and currently KWS Saat.
She has worked in Technology Development, Product Management, and Business Development, with a strong focus on oilseed rape, alongside experience in legumes, corn, and sugar beet. Today, Andrea serves as Crop Lead for Catch Crops and Oilseed Rape at KWS Saat in Einbeck, Germany.
Rücker Dieter
Head of the Fodder Plants and Oil and Protein Plants Departments at Bundesverband Deutscher Pflanzenzüchter e. V. (BDP)
Monday, 20th October:
SFG Section Forages and Grasses (open) – 16.30 – 18.30
Background and professional experience:
Since 1991 Dieter Rücker works as Head of the Fodder Plants and Oil and Protein Plants Departments within the German Plant Breeders’ Association (BDP). He is also Director International Relations of BDP. In addition, he is Director General of the Sortenförderungsgesellschaft SFG mbH, a service provider for variety testing and seed projects. He is member of several working groups of Euroseeds.
Ruthner Szabolcs
Senior Market Acceptance Manager EMEA, BASF and Chair of SWG Hybrid Cereals Section
Monday, 20th October:
SCP Section Cereals and Pulses (open) – 11.00 – 13.00
Background and professional experience:
Szabolcs (Szabi) Ruthner joined ISF in 2015 as Regulatory Affairs Manager where he keeps an eye on international policy developments related to plant breeding innovation, varietal certification, and access to new plant varieties, with the aim of achieving consistent, science- and risk-based regulations across different countries. Prior to joining ISF, he worked for the Hungarian Seed Association (HSA) as professional assistant in 2004, and in 2006 he was appointed to the position of Secretary General. Szabi is a Hungarian national. He graduated from Corvinus University in Budapest where he completed a Ph.D. degree in molecular plant breeding.
Sheasby Robert
Chief Executive at Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC)
Monday, 20th October:
SMS Section Maize and Sorghum (open) – 08.30 – 10.30
Background and professional experience:
Robert Sheasby is the Chief Executive of the Agricultural Industries Confederation the trade association which represents agri business in the UK. His experience is from a career in agriculture having also held a number of roles within the National Farmers Union before joining the AIC in 2018, as well as working as a land agent and auctioneer in his early career. In this role Robert sits on a number of Government stakeholder groups including the DiT Trade Advisory Group for agriculture and food, the Defra group on Productivity as well as having overall responsibility for the operation of the AIC.
Schlichtner Hansjörg
Head Of Sales at SAATBAU LINZ eGen
Monday, 20th October:
SOF Section Oil and Fibre (open) – 14.00 – 16.00
Background and professional experience:
Hansjörg Schlichtner graduated in 2003 from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna with a degree in Agricultural Engineering, specializing in plant production.
In 2004, he joined Saatbau Linz eGen, a leading farmers’ cooperative with around 3,000 members, more than 500 employees, and 15 international branches, engaged in breeding, marketing, and sales of crops such as soya, corn, sunflower, cereals, and pumpkin.
Starting as Product Manager for grasses and clovers (2004–2006), [Name] went on to build strong expertise in domestic sales in Austria (2006–2013), followed by responsibility for sales across Western and South-Eastern Europe (2013–2020). Since 2020, he has been serving as Head of Sales and member of the management group, contributing to the cooperative’s strategic development and international growth.
Talling Janet
Head of Genetic Technology and Farm Tenancy Policy in the Innovation, Productivity and Science Division at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
Monday, 20th October:
SFG Section Forages and Grasses (open) – 16.30 – 18.30
Background and professional experience:
Janet Talling is Head of Genetic Technology and Farm Tenancy Policy in the Innovation, Productivity and Science Division within Defra for 3 years. Prior roles include Head of Contact Testing Policy in Test and Trace introducing policy that enabled critical workers to return to work. My primary interests lie in exploring how to overcome barriers, to uptake and implementation of precision breeding across all sectors. I have twenty years experience as a government research scientist, focused on animal science and welfare, prior to moving into government policy.
Thormann Imke
Senior Officer Plant Genetic Resources at the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH)
Tuesday, 21th October:
SPO Section Potatoes (open): 10.00 – 11.30
Background and professional experience:
van Beers Corné
Director at Breeders Trust
Monday, 20th October:
SFG Section Forages and Grasses (open) – 16.30 – 18.30
Background and professional experience:
As of 1 January 2024, Corné van Beers has been appointed as General Director of Breeders Trust Ltd company located in Brussels. Corné succeeds Geert Staring, who has reached his retirement age. Breeders Trust was founded in 2008 and currently consists of 12 leading European seed potato breeding companies. Since 2011, 10 grass seed breeding companies have become members of Breeders Trust. Detecting unlawful copying of varieties protected by plant breeders’.
He worked for Breeders Trust as a project manager for many years and was responsible for the interests of the affiliated grass seed breeding companies. He started his career as an inspector at the Plant Health Service in the Netherlands and continued as a special investigating officer at the General Inspection Service/food safety authority NVWA.
van Dyck Hilde
Senior Regional Regulatory Manager Seeds and Vegetables
Tuesday, 21th October:
SVO Section Vegetables (open): 08.00 – 09.30
Background and professional experience:
Vestergaard Nielsen Astrid Sofie
Food Attaché at the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU Council
Tuesday, 21th October:
SOF Section Oil and Fibre (open) – 14.00 – 16.00
Background and professional experience:
Astrid Sofie has been serving as Food Attaché at the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU Council since 2024, following experience at the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, where she focused on EU and international policy in plant and veterinary sectors. He also held a student position at the Ministry of Environment, gaining early exposure to environmental policy and sustainability initiatives.
Prior to his government roles, Astrid Sofie built experience in public affairs and international organizations, working on political monitoring, stakeholder engagement, and project management across sectors including transport, energy, finance, and agriculture. He contributed to sustainability projects at the International Dairy Federation and supported EU trade and food policy at the Danish Dairy Board in Brussels.
Beyond professional roles, Astrid Sofie is passionate about economic pluralism and innovative business models, having co-founded the student society Business Unusual CBS and served on the board of Rethinking Economics Denmark, fostering critical thinking and connections between education and real-world challenges.
Her career reflects a strong commitment to bridging policy, sustainability, and innovation in the food and agriculture sector at both national and international levels.
Verhaar Aniek
General Legal Counsel at Enza Zaden
Monday, 20th October:
SCP Section Cereals and Pulses (open) – 11.00 – 13.00
Background and professional experience:
Aniek Verhaar is General Counsel at Enza Zaden, where she leads the legal department including IP. With a legal background and passion for food and technology, she focuses on protecting innovations to enable the creation of more by many. She also serves as a board member of the International Licensing Platform and the Anti Infringement Bureau, contributing to fair access to innovations and its protection.
Vighi Germán
Executive Manager, Plants for the Future, Plant ETP
Wednesday, 22nd October:
NextGen Forum (open meeting) 09.30-12.00
Background and professional experience:
Germán Vighi holds a PhD in Bioscience Engineering, with a strong academic foundation in agriculture and biotechnology. His research has focused on nutrient efficiency mechanisms in tomato and apple breeding, contributing to advancements in sustainable agriculture and plant genetics. For several years, he led the Policy and Advocacy team at the GeneSprout, an initiative representing early-career researchers in plant sciences and promoting science outreach. Passionate about policy, advocacy, innovation, and science communication, he actively worked to enhance EU regulatory frameworks related to R&D in the field of agriculture, plant biology and biotechnology. Germán actively contributes to public debates at both EU and international levels, stimulating dialogue among diverse stakeholders.
von Essen Garlich
Euroseeds Secretary General and CEO
Tuesday, 21st October:
Assembly General – Open Part (open) –14.00 – 16.00
Euroseeds2025 INNOVACTOR Ceremony (open) – 16.30 – 17.30
Background and professional experience:
Garlich is German and studied Agriculture and Economics at the University of Göttingen. He started his professional career in the European Commission’s DG Agriculture before graduating in Administrative and Political Sciences from the College of Europe. Before joining the seed industry in 1999, he worked in the European Parliament in agricultural and structural policy, specifically on the EU’s R&D policy and funding instruments. Joining ESA as Director Public Affairs, he became Secretary General in 2004.
In Euroseeds, Garlich takes responsibility for the overall management of the association and its staff, the development of strategic policy campaigns on Euroseeds’ priority issues and the positioning of Europe’s seed industry vis-à-vis EU and international bodies and decision makers.
von Michaelis Martin
Partner bei EY at EY (Ernst and Young)
Tuesday, 21st October:
Euroseeds2025 INNOVACTOR Ceremony (open) – 16.30 – 17.30
Background and professional experience:
Martin von Michaelis is EY Partner with over 10 years of audit experience including a two-year secondment to EY Atlanta, USA. Primarily working with large, multinational and listed clients as well as fast growing start-up companies. Most clients / projects are part of the ”Media and Entertainment”, “Consumer goods” and « Transportation » sector. Martin von Michaelis has extensive HGB, IFRS and US-GAAP know-how and is experienced in IPO and corporate transactions.
Wells Richard
Senior Patent Attorney at Tropic
Monday, 20th October:
SCP Section Cereals and Pulses (open) – 11.00 – 13.00
Background and professional experience:
Richard Wells is a Senior Patent Attorney at Tropic Biosciences, a UK-based gene-editing company that specialises in developing new tropical crop varieties – primarily banana and rice. He is a UK and European Patent Attorney specialising in plant Intellectual Property, with over a decade in the profession. Rich holds a degree in molecular genetics and a PhD. in developmental genetics.
Wood Robin
Deputy Chairman at Elsoms Seeds, Chairman at British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB)
Monday, 20th October:
SMS Section Maize and Sorghum (open) – 08.30 – 10.30
Background and professional experience:
Robin Wood has had a lifelong career in Horticulture and Agriculture, and following school he gained a BSc in Horticulture at the University of London (Wye College). Prior to joining Elsoms as the Trials and Brassica Crop Manager in the mid 1980’s, Robin spent time with ADAS as both Stockbridge House and Kirton Experimental Horticulture Stations being involved in field vegetable research. Following a period at Horticulture Research International (HRI), working at both Kirton and Wellesbourne research stations where he focused particularly on vegetable research and technology transfer. Robin returned to Elsoms as Vegetable Seed Director in 2004 and is now Elsoms Deputy Chairman.