MEET THE SPEAKERS

Speakers

Antony V. E. Chapman

Phytoform Labs (UK)

Dr Antony Chapman leads the tomato genome engineering team at Phytoform Labs in the UK. The team focuses on precision breeding of tomatoes using Crsipr-Cas and has generated several genome-edited tomato varieties, focusing on harvesting and fruit quality traits. Antony received a PhD in molecular plant pathology from Iowa State University.
Ben Pieterse

TTA-ISO (Netherlands)

Ben Pieterse is sales manager food at TTA-ISO, where he applies his expertise to advance automation in plant propagation, grafting technologies and tomato harvesting. Ben helps growers adopt innovative and efficient ways of growing the best tomato seedlings and harvesting tomatoes with TTA-ISO’s groundbreaking HarvAI platform.
David Del Pino

Freshtrategy (Spain)

David Del Pino is managing partner at Freshtrategy in Spain, having been in the produce business his whole life – as the son of a grower, as an academic, as a professional in logistics, quality control, domestic and international trading and, finally, in management. After all these experiences, David says he is now beginning to understand this business.
Esteban Baeza

Coexphal (Spain)

Esteban Baeza Romero is a greenhouse technology expert driving climate-smart horticulture, integrating plant physiology, climate control and data analytics to optimise productivity, water efficiency and sustainability. Experienced in leading multidisciplinary teams and EU projects, Esteban bridges research and industry, mentors professionals and delivers innovations that scale from trials to deployment.
Freddie Reed

Intelligent Growth Solutions (UK)

Freddie Reed is product manager at Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS). Freddie spent four years working on innovation projects in the horticulture, arable and livestock sectors before moving into Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). A graduate in mechanical engineering with a farming background, Freddie plays a key role at IGS in driving product strategy and innovation, aligning cutting-edge technology with growers’ needs.
Jan Engelen

Coöperatie Hoogstraten (Belgium)

Jan Engelen is manager sustainability, innovation and branding at Coöperatie Hoogstraten in Belgium. Having completed a Master’s degree in horticultural engineering in 1998, Jan began his career at the editorial board of Proeftuinnieuws, before moving to Syngenta Seeds in 2000. He joined Hoogstraten in 2005 before moving to Bakker Belgium, part of the Greenyard Group, in 2018. In 2022, Jan rejoined the team at Hoogstraten.
Jordi Ballester

Let It Out Food Creativity (Spain)

Jordi Ballester is managing partner at Let It Out Food Creativity. He is an expert in plant biotechnology, plant breeding and the seed business, with a PhD in plant genetics. Jordi has worked as global head biotech services at Nunhems (BASF) and product and business development director at Fito, and is the creator of the Monterosa and Nippo tomato consumer brands.
Lena Maas

Hudson River (Netherlands)

Lena Maas is the Head of R&D at Hudson River, responsible for managing the genetics, Crispr editing and plant regeneration operations of the BioMaas platform. Lena’s background is in molecular plant biotechnology and breeding and she holds a PhD in molecular biology with a focus on transcriptional regulation of plant regeneration.
Manuel Ferrer

HM Clause (EMEA)

Manuel Ferrer is an agricultural engineer leading product innovation across EMEA. At HM Clause, he connects seed value with consumer needs, coordinating European specialists and capturing insights from the tomato value chain. Successful projects include Adora cherry tomatoes and large-caliber varieties.
Pedro Ruiz

Granada La Palma (Spain)

Pedro Ruiz is president of Granada La Palma. He is an agricultural engineer and a dedicated farmer with over 30 years’ experience in the agricultural sector. Pedro combines technical knowledge, practical experience and strategic leadership to drive the sustainable development of the cooperative and its members. His background enables a deep understanding of the needs of the sector, promoting agricultural innovation and enhancing the competitiveness of the coop’s products.