Course Overview
SB201 Vegetables, Decisions That Drive Results
Based directly on industry feedback from the 2025 class, SB201 is now under development.
The re-branded SB201 moves beyond theory and into reality: you will build business fluency to make faster, higher-impact decisions. Participants will step into a highly realistic seed dealer–genetic supplier case study, built around a fictitious family-owned company in Yuma: Desert Produce Supply (DPS).
This is not a lecture course. It’s decision-making under pressure, exactly what seed leaders face in the real world.
Who should attend this course?
Mid‑career leaders in
- Sales
- Product Management
- Operations
- General Management
Course Event
June 28 - July 2, 2027
In-Person at UC Davis
(Pacific time zone)
Early Registration: $3950
Regular Registration: $4450
(Early Registration ends May 31, 2027)
Tuition includes all course materials, lunches and breaks. Class size is limited so early registration is recommended.
Available Discounts:
25% off - Faculty (from regular registration)
50% off - Current Grad students/Postdocs (from regular registration)
Contact us for more information about your discount.
► Hotel Recommendation:
Hyatt Place - Click "BOOK" button to reserve with the special SBC rate ($159). Rate only available until June 3.
► Course Location:
Bowley Plant Science Teaching Facility:
1200 Extension Center Drive
Davis, CA 95616
► Campus Parking information (additional parking information will be emailed to participants before the course)
Course Curriculum
Through this live, hands-on case, seed professionals will work through the decisions that truly matter:
- Step into a live dealer–supplier case
- Make portfolio, pricing, and P&L decisions
Connect financial, marketing, and channel decisions into a unified business strategy
Instructors
Matthew Johnston
Matthew has led Syngenta’s Global Vegetable Seed and Flower business since 2017. Retiring from Syngenta at the end of 2026, he joins his family in their closely held vegetable seed business, Bonanza Seeds International. He is passionate about developing and promoting innovation in seeds that helps farmers overcome the challenges they face worldwide. Matthew’s early professional experience was in the family citrus business in South Florida and the past 30 years in the vegetable seed industry serving in various roles in sales, marketing and general management at leading companies in the industry. Prior to joining Syngenta in 2017 he was the CEO of HM.CLAUSE, a global vegetable seed company owned by Group Limagrain. Matthew holds a BS from University of Wyoming, earned his MBA from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and is a graduate of the Wedgeworth Leadership Institute at the University of Florida.
Jovan Djordjevic
Dr. Jovan Djordjevic is a plant breeder and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the global seed industry. His career began in 1996 with Monsanto France as a corn breeder, where he built a strong foundation in hybrid breeding. In 2005, he moved to Canada to lead canola hybrid breeding, playing a key role in transitioning the crop from open-pollinated to hybrid varieties. In 2010, Jovan relocated to California—agriculture’s Silicon Valley—where he served as Global Cucurbits Breeding Director for Nunhems.
Over the course of his prolific career, he has contributed to the release of more than 200 hybrid varieties across crops such as corn, canola, tomato, pepper, sweet corn, watermelon, melon, cucumber, onion, carrot, and leek.
Jovan currently serves as Director of the UC Davis Plant Breeding Academy, where he mentors the next generation of breeders and seed professionals. He also chairs the Plant Breeding Committee for the California Seed Association.
He is a seed business owner, co-founder, and board director at Murray River Seed Co, where he remains hands-on in breeding watermelon and melon. He believes that passionate people, working closely with growers, can truly transform the produce industry for the better.
Questions? Contact Louise Lee at [email protected].