Seed Business 201: Vegetables

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 Seed Business 101 Horticulture students. As effective strategy can't be developed in an "ivory tower," this course is for Seed Co employees at any level involved in day-to-day strategy implementation across breeding, research, sales, marketing, 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's career reflects a deep commitment to the agricultural industry, stemming from her upbringing in the Salinas Valley. Despite her family's non-farming background, Lisa's early fascination with agriculture led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness with a specialization in marketing and international management from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2003. Building on this foundation, she furthered her education by completing a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix in October 2023. With over 25 years of experience in the seed industry, Lisa currently serves as the General Manager for Radicle Seed Company and Headstart Nursery, demonstrating her leadership and expertise in the field. Her extensive background has not only shaped her into a prominent voice within the agricultural sector but has also fueled her passion for mentoring and guiding future generations towards successful careers in agriculture. Lisa Branco's influence extends beyond her professional roles. She actively contributes to various agricultural organizations and initiatives, holding positions on the boards of Monterey County Ag Education and the California Seed Association. Lisa also serves as a SALT Ambassador and is an engaged member of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). Additionally, she contributes her expertise to the STEM Task Force at Hartnell College, aiming to strengthen the connection between academic programs and industry needs. Through her multifaceted involvement and leadership, Lisa Branco continues to drive the advancement and advocacy of the agricultural industry, making significant contributions that resonate across educational, organizational, and professional domains.

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 

Jovan is a plant breeder & 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 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. In addition to being an SBC director of education, instructor for Plant Breeding academies and other SBC courses, Jovan is one of the founders and board director for Murray River Seeds and an industry consultant for plant breeding and business strategies with F2Gen LLC. He is looking forward, together with the SBC team of instructors, to impart his experiences to future generations of plant breeders and other seed industry professionals.

Questions? Contact Us at sbc@ucdavis.edu