Course Overview: 

The global vegetable seed business is dynamic, very segmented, and exceptionally complex. A well-defined organizational strategy is the key to a breeding company's innovation power. A clear vision and direction for an entire organization are needed for the effective implementation of company goals, along with a smart allocation of perpetually limited resources. This 4.5-day course is a natural extension of Seed Business 101 Horticulture and is crafted with deep inside knowledge of private companies operating within the vegetable seed industry. It is designed to help organizational decision-makers understand their current and future market position, providing at the same time a toolbox for market analysis and strategic decision-making to pursue the most attractive opportunities that create value for customers, employees, and shareholders. Special emphasis would be placed on acquisitions where the cultures of companies require attention to avoid missing out on the synergies so evident during M&A analysis.

Who should attend this course? 
All former students of Seed Business 101 Horticulture. All seed company decision-makers, upper and middle management, as well as company talents & leaders across departments, breeding and research, sales and marketing, seed production, operations, finance, and administration.

Instructors: 

Vicente Navarro

Vicente Navarro, from Segorbe, Spain embarked on his illustrious career in the Seed Industry following his studies at the University Polytechnic in Valencia, Spain. With a track record spanning over 35 years, he has held prestigious global management roles in Marketing, Sales, Strategy, and Operations. Vicente's highlights include his tenure as Managing Director of Nunhems in Spain, his influential role as Global Head of Marketing, and his leadership as CEO for BASF Vegetable Seeds. Vicente is a fervent champion of innovation and visionary organizational strategies. He has played a pivotal role in shaping the seed industry landscape, too. Vicente has held positions such as Chairman of the Spanish Seed Association and board member of both ISF and Euroseeds. Vicente is happily married to Victoria, and has three children: Alberto, Paula, and Artur.

Lisa Branco

Lisa Branco was born and raised in the Salinas Valley, where she was always surrounded by agriculture.  Although her family had no background in farming, she was captivated by the industry from a young age.  In 2003, Lisa completed her Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness with a specialization in marketing and international management from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA.  Recently, in October 2023, she completed her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix.  Lisa has been working in the seed industry for over 20 years and is currently the General Manager for sister companies Radicle Seed Company and Headstart Nursery.  Lisa has gained numerous experiences and opportunities throughout her career and now strives to be a voice and advocate for the agricultural industry.  She is committed to guiding the next generation towards fulfilling career opportunities like the one she has been fortunate enough to have.

Daniel Beltran

Daniel is an executive and consultant with more than 30 years of international experience in strategy, innovation, product development, market research and strategic marketing, in companies such as Nestlé, DiamondCluster, Ipsos or Istobal. In the Seed Industry, Daniel worked 11 years for Nunhems (Bayer, then BASF, Vegetable Seeds business unit), first as Global Marketing Specialist for the Cucurbits crop portfolio and for the Produce Chain unit, and later as Global Head of Strategy for the business unit. Daniel was in charge of advising the Management Board and the functional & crop Leadership Teams on topics such as portfolio development, business innovation, organizational structure, crop strategies and M&A. Daniel was responsible for steering, advising and aligning the strategy definition process across corporate, functional and crop levels. During this period, Daniel was also responsible for setting up, nurturing and leading the Market Intelligence and the Business Innovation units within Nunhems. 
 

Jovan Djordjevic 

Director of Education, Seed Biotechnology Center, UC Davis. Jovan is a seed executive with over 25 years of experience in the field crops and vegetable seed industries. His career began in France in 1996, as a corn breeder for Cargill Seeds (later Monsanto). Jovan continued in Canada as the Canola Breeding Lead for Monsanto, then in California as the R&D Team lead for Bayer/BASF. Throughout his prolific career, he has been a part of over 200 releases of hybrid varieties of corn, canola, tomato, pepper, sweet corn, watermelon, melon, cucumber, onions, carrots, and leek. He is looking forward, together with the SBC team of instructors, to imparting his experiences to future generations of plant breeders and other seed industry professionals.

Questions? Contact Jeffrey Robinson at jerobinson@ucdavis.edu