Biography

Francisco Alonso, General Manager, Ridder Spain

PhD in Agricultural Engineering, he has worked in research centres in Spain and the Netherlands, participating in research projects related to climate management and irrigation in protected crops. He has been Director of Ridder Spain for more than 10 years and has collaborated as a lecturer in the Engineering Department of the University of Almeria.
Jesús Arévalo

Jesús Arévalo, General Director, Intagri

Agronomist engineer, soil specialist, graduated with honours from the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo with a master's degree from the Universidad de Almería (Spain). Certified Agricultural Advisor by the Agronomy Society. Advisor, trainer and consultant on crop nutrition in different regions of Mexico and in some Latin American countries. He collaborated with the Fertilab laboratory generating fertilization recommendations based on soil analysis and later in the generation of their first software for recommendations. He is a member of the Soil Science Society of America and the Mexican Society of Soil Science.
Carlos Arteaga

Carlos Arteaga, Vice-Chairman of the Board, Grupo La Huerta, Divisional Agricultural Director, Rancho Medio Kilo

He has spent his life at Rancho Medio Kilo and has been interested in nature since he was young. He studied Biology at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. His passion; photography, being in contact with nature, discovering new and interesting things, such as the behavior of living beings. He started his first jobs at Rancho Medio Kilo as a greenhouse seedling production assistant, some of his great projects have been the massive production of beneficial insects, integrated pest control, greenhouse vegetable production and making agriculture a sustainable, sustainable and enjoyable business. He is the 5th son in a family of 9, now with three daughters and 6 grandchildren.

Alejandro Ávila, Operations Manager, Bonanza Fresh

Studies in computer systems and pure mathematics. Director and consultant in medium and high technology greenhouses for 23 years. During this time, he has managed leading greenhouse projects in the industry, developing from conception to operation more than 120 hectares of greenhouses in various parts of the country. Consultant specializing in production processes, packaging, logistics, administration, quality and certifications. Currently holding the position of Operations Manager at Invernaderos Bonanza.

Saul Baez, Managing Director, Agropark Greenhouse Association

For 9 years, this cluster, the largest in America. It generates 150,000 tonnes of high-tech vegetables per year, with world-class standards of safety, productivity and competitiveness. His main activity at the head of the cluster is to facilitate supply, service provision, safety and vegetable waste management, as well as management, regulatory affairs, finance, costs, budgets, maintenance, security, legal area, among others. He is also currently advising a parliamentary group, namely Senator Claudia Ruz Massie on issues related to innovation and agro-industrial development. He is a key member of Global Agrotrade Advisors since its foundation. He was General Manager for 4 years of Organic Farm, a company based in the Baja California Peninsula. Currently he continues to develop trade linkage schemes between Mexico and other latitudes. Actively collaborating for projects in Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras.
Olmo Axayacatl Bastida

Olmo Axayacatl Bastida, Agroexport Specialist, ProducePay

He holds a degree in "Agricultural Mechanical Engineering" from the University of Chapingo, and a Master's degree in "Horticultural Science" from the same institution. Over the years, he has also complemented his professional training with diploma courses such as "Greenhouse production" and "Berries production". He has more than 10 years of experience in research, communication and training for the agricultural industry. He is currently an Agroexport Specialist at ProducePay, where he generates useful content aimed at agricultural producers, distributors and various actors in the agribusiness. He began his career in education as a director and teacher at the Institute of Education in Apaseo el Alto. Subsequently, he complemented his knowledge in the industry by specializing in berry production within the Driscoll's company, and later developed as an independent consultant. 

Alfredo Díaz Belmontes, Director General, Asociación Mexicana de Horticultura Protegida A.C., AMHPAC

Agronomist graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, with a Master's degree in Economic Development from the University of California, Davis, U.S.A. He was State Delegate of the Federal Ministry of Social Development in the State of Mexico. U.S.A. He was State Delegate of the Federal Secretariat of Social Development in the State of Sinaloa and previously served as Northwest Regional Director of Agricultural Marketing Support and Services (ASERCA/SAGARPA). He worked for 12 years as an official of BANOBRAS, the first four years in the State Delegation of Baja California and later as Delegate in the State of Sinaloa. From 2003 to date he has been a professor at important educational institutions such as ITESM and Universidad de Occidente, both Campus Culiacán. In 2002, in association with other businessmen, he founded and continues to manage Inmobiliaria Las Fincas.
Fermin Barberena

Fermín Barberena, Director of the Nursery and Special Projects, CEICKOR University Centre

From 2013 to date he is Director of the Nursery and Special Projects at CEICKOR. Professor of the subject Hydraulics Applied to Research, Engineering in Protected Agriculture at CEICKOR University. Founder and operational manager of the company Rapel, dedicated to the production of vegetables in greenhouses, and of the Rapel Agricultural Institute, A.C. (2005-2012). Technical advisor and technical assistant at Agros (2002-2008), where he was responsible for climate, physiology and fertilization strategies.
Gerardo Garca Camacho

Gerardo García Camacho, General Manager, Diosol Chemical

Agricultural Engineer, specialist in soil and water from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa. He has 15 years of experience managing high-tech greenhouses in companies such as DIVEMEX and Hortícola Cimarrón, mainly coloured peppers and Minipeppers. He is currently General Manager of Diosol Chemical SA de CV. Company dedicated to the manufacture and marketing of chelated microelements.

Dimitris Doukas, Export Manager, Greenhouse Films Division, Plastika Kritis

Awarded an MSc and then a PhD from the University of Reading, UK in subjects related with the use of specialty greenhouse films in modern horticulture. He was appointed to join Plastika Kritis, a leading International Greenhouse film manufacturer, in 2007 and has been the Export Manager of the greenhouse films division since 2010. Currently knows the worldwide horticultural market and has profound knowledge in the use of innovative plastic films, made on the principles of sustainable development, for vegetables, red fruits and others crops depending on the area, growing conditions and type of greenhouse for optimum results..
Mariska Dreschler

Mariska Dreschler, Director of Horticulture, GreenTech Global, RAI Amsterdam

She has 25 years of experience in entrepreneurship, business strategy, business development and event management. As Head of Horticulture, she supports the global food and flower production industry by organizing trade fairs for these communities to connect, both face-to-face and digitally. GreenTech's portfolio consists of GreenTech Amsterdam, the world's leading exhibition for horticultural technologies, and GreenTech Americas, a regional exhibition in Mexico.

Dominik Feiden, Co-founder & CEO, Organifarms

He has a business background and experience in corporate management. He founded the company to bring the next generation of robots to agriculture. They develop robots to increase the productivity and profitability of growers, taking agriculture to the next level.

Alan Falomir, Climate Consultant, Svensson

Biotechnology engineer, able to understand the whole life cycle of the different crops involved in this industry, as well as helping growers with technical advice on how to improve the climate using the different tools they have in their greenhouses. He has a Master's degree in Natural Resources, where he worked with different beneficial micro-organisms which gave him knowledge on how the interactions between the plant, micro-organisms and nutrients work. She started working at Svensson in 2018.

Georgius R. Gotsis, General Director, Eleven Rivers Growers

Economist from Pomona College, California, he has taken several courses in public speaking and leadership at various institutions. He comes from a farming family with Greek roots; with him, the company operates with the 4th generation in the vegetable production business. From a very young age he developed the vision of the importance of incorporating technological development in agricultural production, as well as seeking to add value and diversify marketing. He has been Deputy General Manager of Agrícola Gotsis since 2005. He was Director of Biobusiness Engineering and Professor of Agribusiness at ITESM in 2013. Member of the Board of Pro Educa, 2011. Partner and Board Member of Nueva Agroindustrias del Norte, 2013. Board Member, Asociación de Agricultores del Río Culiacán, 2007-2009. Former General Coordinator of Trade Promotion and Export Promotion, ASERCA, until 2016. President of Empresarios Jóvenes Coparmex from 2006 to 2008. Columnist for Portafolio El Debate and Bien Informado Magazine from 2007 to 2011. Quality Control Manager of Omega Produce Compay Inc. from 2003 to 2005. Director of Veggies From Mexico since January 2019. He is also founder and leader of the Club de las 5 de la Mañana Mexico, under his guidance more than 200 participants from all over Mexico and Latin America practice positive habits, with the goal of becoming better people every day.
Martin Helmich

Martin Helmich, CCO, Hoogendoorn Growth Management

He has worked for several years at Hoogendoorn Growth Management, accumulating extensive experience in horticulture, automation and software, and has played multiple roles in the implementation of the company's internationalization strategy, which has led it to become the world's number one innovator in horticultural automation. He is a thought leader in the field of the future of horticulture, which has led him to become a member of the GreenTech Advisory Board.

Silke Hemming, Head of Greenhouse Technology, Wageningen University & Research

She got a phD at University of Hanover, Germany. Since 1999 she has worked at Wageningen University & Research in different positions and has been head of the Greenhouse Technology research team since 2007. She is an expert on the field of novel greenhouse design concepts and modern greenhouse coverings for different climate zones world-wide. She initiated research on the field of artificial intelligence and greenhouses control including three international challenges on Autonomous Greenhouses. Her research group has expertise in the field of energy saving, greenhouse climate, water saving, modelling, data science, computer vision, sensors and robotics for greenhouse and indoor farming applications.

Carlos Herrerias, Tomato Product Manager West Europe, Enza Zaden

Graduated in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Almeria, where he did his first professional work as a horticultural crop advisor in the regions of El Ejido and Campo de Nijar. In his responsibility in Enza Zaden Spain as part of the Marketing and Sales department, he was actively involved in the introduction and positioning of our horticultural varieties in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, directly related to the research and development teams, as well as managing key accounts in those countries. Recently he has developed different responsibilities in the Marketing and Sales department with a wider geographical scope covering countries such as Israel, Italy, North Africa and Senegal. As of 2021, she is Tomato Product Manager West Europe, where she works closely with growers, marketers and other sectors in the value chain to gain first-hand knowledge and input relevant information about the crop and its international environment.

Frank Hoogendoorn, Agricultural Advisor, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

After obtaining his Master's degree in Human Geography at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, he decided to follow his heart and move to Mexico. Once in Mexico he started his work experience teaching English at different levels and ages. While improving his own knowledge of the English language, he was also able to learn Spanish. After a few years he applied for a job in the agricultural department of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Mexico. In the team he started as Office Manager and was eventually promoted to the position of Agricultural Assistant. Since the end of 2018, he has, among other activities, been following up on the negotiations of market access dossiers for animal and plant products, and within the agricultural team he remains the main contact for horticultural issues. He has an extensive network of contacts in the Mexican and Dutch agricultural sector.

Guillermo Jiménez, President of the National Board of Directors, AMHPAC

He holds a degree in Agribusiness from ITESM, Monterrey campus, and has taken several programmes in Business Management at IPADE. He is currently President of Bonanza Fresh, a company dedicated to the production and export of different varieties of tomatoes. Since 2019, he has served as President of the National Board of Directors of the Mexican Association of Protected Horticulture AC (AMHPAC), an organisation that brings together more than 300 agricultural companies in 24 states of the Mexican Republic. It should be noted that he was part of the team representing Mexico in the negotiation of the Tomato Suspension Agreement signed in 2019 with the United States Department of Commerce. In 2022 he was appointed Vice President for Horticulture of the Agricultural Council of Jalisco. He was a Board Member of the Mexican Institute of Best Corporate Practices AC from 2017 to 2019 and President of the Local Plant Health Board in Sayula, Jalisco from 2019 to 2022. He is also a member of the Board of the Fundación Familias Quanticas AC, an association that supports families who have lost children to cancer or leukaemia.

Jeff Joudrey, Grower Adivisor, Grodan

Jeff Joudrey graduated from Niagara College in 2013 with a degree in Greenhouse Technology, being passionate about plants. On par with college, completed a Co-op at Harrow Research and Development Centre, the largest greenhouse research facility in North America. He started working as a scout out of university at Great Northern Hydroponics, a large high-tech tomato greenhouse located in Kingsville, Ontario, after 6 months, he was promoted to greenhouse supervisor, managing both labor and harvest and 8 months later, he was promoted to assistant grower. By 2015 he had earned the title of Grower, responsible for 50 acres and 12 different varieties of tomatoes. In 2016 he moved to another greenhouse, where he grew tomatoes and high wire cucumbers, was MCM's lead grower, as well as the IPM Coordinator and responsible for labor/harvesting. For several harvests, he grew high quality beef and tov tomatoes in Grodan rockwool, as well as mini highwire cucumbers. In late 2017, the greenhouse he worked for received permission to grow medical cannabis and he remained the lead grower for Natura Naturals, which was renamed High Park for the duration of the cannabis production. All cannabis was grown in rockwool. In 2020, he joined the Grodan team and has since been advising growers on best practice irrigation strategy for their specific crop and any given stage.

Víctor Manuel Juárez Gutiérrez, General Coordinator of Territorial Operations, SADER

Currently appointed by Víctor Manuel Villalobos Arámbula, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. Formerly Head of the SADER office in the State of Campeche. He holds a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the Colegio de Postgraduados; studies in Political Science from the Universidad Iberoamericana and Agricultural Engineering from the Universidad Autónoma de Chapingo. He has worked in public administration for more than 35 years, with experience in strategic planning, investment projects, agronomic sectoral economics, governance and globalisation processes, capital markets and technical stock market analysis, etc. Previously he represented the Procuraduría Agraria as Federal Delegate in the state of Quintana Roo and as Operational Subdelegate in Chiapas. He is distinguished for having held positions in the forestry field in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Environment of the Federal District. He was the coordinator of the Operational Technical Unit of the Alliance for the Countryside of the Natural Resources Commission of the then Federal District, and also held the Executive Directorate of Rural Development and Organisation. He was Manager of Strategic Planning and Training for the Maseca Company; Project Consultant for the Japanese firm Chuo Kaihatsu Corporation and, lastly, he directed the General Services and Maintenance area of the Federal District Attorney General's Office. He holds several diplomas from: Universidad Autónoma de México, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Universidad Iberoamericana, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, and the National Institute of Public Administration. His professional career has been distinguished by his admission to the Academy of Engineering and being the President of the National Academy of Forestry Sciences. He has represented the Mexican government in the United States, Cuba, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Honduras, in the agricultural and forest fields.
Ad Kranendonk

Ad Kranendonk, Head of Sales and Business Development, Flier Systems BV

He has been working for Flier Systems since 1988 in different positions and has been a member of the management team since 2005. In his position, he is responsible for business development and sales as a promoter of many of the new developments that Flier Systems has carried out in the last 10 years. Flier Systems is one of the largest suppliers of automation solutions for the horticultural industry, based in Barendrecht, specializing in the mechanization and automation of business processes in breeding companies, nurseries and production companies in the horticultural sector.
Andres Vazquez Lamont

Andrés Vázquez Lamont, Co-Founder, FARM Capital.

Master in Finance from ITESM, with business and professional experience in the Private Equity, Agribusiness and Industrial Real Estate industry; participation in more than 150 investment projects with over 300 million dollars in equity or credit investments; former Investment Director at FOCIR; and advisor in agribusiness transactions for CKDs such as Vector and Altum Capital. Partner of Grupo Enture, administrator of Private Equity Funds; Co-founder and Fund Manager of EUNO Capital, venture capital fund; and FARM Capital, Sustainable Agroindustrial Real Estate Fund.
Ricardo Lardizbal

Ricardo Lardizabal, General Manager, AgroAlpha Honduras

He holds a Master's Degree in Plant Nutrition in Intensive Horticultural Crops from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena, a Master of Science: Fruit and Vegetable Production and Processing and a Bachelor of Science in Seed Production and Processing from Mississippi State University and as an Agronomist from the Escuela Agrícola Panamericana. For the past 36 years, he has had the opportunity to produce various horticultural crops and advise on greenhouse crop development for the past 10 years. In 2020, he started an ambitious project to build a greenhouse complex in San Marcos de Colón, Choluteca, Honduras. Initially, 34 hectares of high-tech greenhouses were built, which do not require heating so we have no CO2. Construction started in February 2021 and the first container was exported in November 2021. In the second phase of the project, an additional 34 hectares were built, bringing the total to 68 hectares. A recirculating irrigation system has been implemented to reduce fertiliser and water losses. During the summer, well water is used, while in winter rainwater is collected and stored from the greenhouse roofs. A biological control approach is used to prevent crop pests and diseases.
Mariana Larrea

Mariana Larrea, Executive Director, Santuario Uh May

Mexican Life Sciences, Cannabis and Consumer Protection Lawyer. She has been involved in the cannabis industry since 2016, when regulation began. Currently, she is the executive director of Santuario Uh May, the first hemp community in Mexico. She has a strong background in the area of life sciences and healthcare, her experience is focused on providing legal advice and assistance to national and multinational companies, both private and public, in the analysis and investigation of Cannabis, Alcoholic Beverages, Health Supplies, Food, Health Risks, Establishments, Toxic and Hazardous Substances, and Advertising of such products and services. Following the recent changes in the Mexican Cannabis legislation, he has developed a specialized sub-area of practice within the Life and Sciences area, studying and drafting updates for clients on the regularization of Cannabis in Mexico. He contributed to the incorporation of different entities whose corporate purpose is related to Cannabis and its distribution in Mexico.

Javier Ignacio López Ruffo, General Manager, AgriCo

He studied Administrative Computer Systems at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) and subsequently completed the AD2 Training Programme at the Instituto Panamericano de Alta Dirección de Empresa (IPADE). He is currently Treasurer of the National Board of Directors 2021-2023 of the AMHPAC and is the partner who operates as General Director of the company AgriCo (Agricultura Controlada S.A. de C.V.), a company dedicated to the production of different varieties of cucumber under technology in shaded greenhouses and Hi-Tech greenhouses and whose destinations are the United States and Canada. He has more than 20 years of experience in the agricultural sector.

Alejandro Medina, Climate Consultant, Svensson

He has a degree in Biotechnological Engineering and acquired theoretical and practical knowledge in research centres and universities such as IPN-CIIDIR, CEICKOR and WUR. As a biotechnological engineer, he advises customers throughout the life cycle of their crops, also helping them with technical advice and innovation to address the factors that are currently a problem in their greenhouses, while at the same time increasing crop quality and yields, combining traditional and modern agriculture. He joined Svensson as Climate Consultant in 2017.
Sonny Moerenhout

Sonny Moerenhout, Managing Partner, Cultivators

Sonny was ‘born’ in a greenhouse, since his parents were eggplant growers for over 25 years. Not surprisingly, he holds a master’s degree in plant science from Wageningen University with greenhouse horticulture as his specialization. Since 2019 he is one of the founders of Cultivators. Committed to grow business in licensed cannabis and hydroponic lettuce. Growing these crops requires in-depth knowledge and expertise. Partner from the first business idea up to daily operations. He has been consulting growers for years on cannabis cultivation in countries where medicinal cannabis is legalized. His cultivation experience and expertise is strengthened as result of his involvement in trials at Wageningen University & other research institutions. He understands the importance of working together with the pharmaceutical, horticultural & hobby industry in the cannabis sector. Through his experience in his extensive network he learnt that cultivation expertise is a crucial factor to make growing facilities for leafy greens and licensed cannabis a success.
Juan Carlos Alderete

Juan Carlos Alderete Macal, Executive Director of Economic Analysis and Market Strategy, Grupo Financiero Banorte

He holds a degree in Economics with a specialization in Finance from ITAM. He has completed courses and diplomas on Structured Products and Derivatives and in 2014 he obtained the international certification of analysis and advice known as Chartered Financial Analyst, awarded by the CFA Institute. He has 15 years of experience in the financial sector. He joined Banorte in 2010, currently serving as Executive Director of Economic Analysis and Market Strategy. He leads the teams responsible for forecasting economic variables and investment strategies in various asset classes. He won the award for best forecaster for the Mexican economy awarded by Refinitiv in 2019 and 2021.
Micha van Nieuwkerk

Micha van Nieuwkerk, MSc, Van der Ende Group

He holds a Master of Science in Management from the Open University in the Netherlands. He has experience in the field of product development and product management. He is responsible for the development of the Van der Ende Group's water product portfolio, with a focus on the treatment of greenhouse water flows. With more than 20 years of experience in the horticultural business in relation to energy and water treatment, he is a member of the board of directors of the Van der Ende Group.

Homero Ontiveros, Founding Director, AgTech America

Industrial Engineer with graduate studies in International Management from Harvard University. He found his true professional passion in the horticultural industry, dedicating himself for more than 20 years to the generation and dissemination of information on new agricultural technologies to boost the growth of high-value crop exports in Mexico and Latin America. He has extensive experience managing specialised agricultural media and organising congresses and exhibitions in this sector. For 17 years, he directed the growth and consolidation of the magazine Productores de Hortalizas en México y Centroamérica and its website Hortalizas.com. He successfully organised the International Tomato Congress for 10 consecutive years, the Bio Controles Mexico event and the Fresh Connections Mexico and Fresh Connections Central America events in conjunction with the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) in 2012 and 2013. Since 2018 he serves as Founding Director of AgTech America, an agricultural communication consulting firm focused on the dissemination of information and technology through digital media, has advised countless agricultural technology companies in their communication and marketing efforts, and has been a consultant for GreenTech since 2018.
Tyrone Orozco

Tyrone Orozco, Founding Partner and Director of Projects and Legal Area, CJT Traders

Master in Customs Law from the Universidad La Salle Bajio, he has studies in International Trade from the Universidad Contemporánea and a Law degree from the Universidad Mondragón México. He has developed professionally in the areas of customs, logistics, supply chain, import projects and customs agency in different companies such as CNH Mexico, a leading company in agricultural tractors, Shell Mexico, a company dedicated to the manufacture and marketing of petroleum and chemical products. He is a researcher and academic at different universities in Querétaro, and is currently Founding Partner and Director of Projects and Legal area in the companies CAN International Logistics and CJT Traders, companies dedicated to the marketing of products and advice on international trade and supply chain for the agro-industrial sector, He has participated in different opinion forums such as the Automotive Cluster, Forums of the Secretary of Sustainable Development of the State and has been an evaluator of the State Export Award of the State for more than 10 years. He has written columns for newspapers and specialized magazines such as Mexico Industry and El Financiero, related to logistics and Customs.

Ricardo Martínez Ortiz, Managing Director & Founder, Asesores en Invernaderos

He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Administration from Tecnológico de Monterrey, with studies in Administration, Logistics, Finance and Senior Management. His professional development has been in the area of logistics and sales, starting his professional life in 1991 working in the largest open pit Silver Mine in Latin America (Minera Real de Angeles) where he was in charge of the Purchasing Department of the Beneficiation Plant. In 1993 in Aguascalientes he was in charge of the Purchasing, Shipping, Warehouse and Imports Departments of the San Marcos Textile Group. In 1999, he was in charge of the start-up of the production plant of Intercarton in Toluca, as Plant Manager. In August 2000, he started his career in Protected Horticulture in Mexico when he joined the company Agros, the first High Technology Greenhouse in Mexico, as Logistics Manager from 2000 to 2006. In 2006 he founded ASESORES EN INVERNADEROS, a leading company and a reference in the greenhouse market in Mexico, of which he is the General Director to date.
Sander Paternotte

Sander Paternotte, Chief Operating Officer of Mprise Agriware BV

He started in 2020 as a member of the management team. In his role, he is responsible for all consulting activities globally with teams based in India, France, the Netherlands and Mexico. Mprise Agriware BV, a Dutch company is a global ERP provider for the horticultural industry. The ERP system is based on the Microsoft Business Central platform and can support the business processes of the horticultural industry. Since 2006 Agriware has been continuously improving the needs of the horticulture industry and is using the latest technology. With intelligent solutions our customers can continuously improve their processes. Mprise Agriware B.V. is part of the Mprise Group. Mprise Group B.V. has been implementing ERP systems and training key and end users since 1991

Erik Plaisier, Agricultural Advisor for Mexico and Cuba, Embassy of the Netherlands

He holds a Master's degree in Business Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Since August 2019, Erik is responsible for facilitating trade in agricultural products, technology and services between the Netherlands and Mexico (and Cuba), and for fostering Mexican-Dutch collaboration to promote circular agriculture in Mexico. Erik worked in the field of international development cooperation for 18 years, for organizations including the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) of the Netherlands, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and SNV Netherlands Development Organization. Its main areas of focus have been SME promotion, international trade and agribusiness with a geographical focus on Latin America (Mexico, Central America and the Andean countries).

Erick Ponce, Founding President, ICAN LATAM

Businessman, investor and entrepreneur focused on the health sector. Founder and CEO of ICAN, a company focused on the medical cannabis market in Latin America; ICAN is one of the few companies with the accreditations and licenses to operate in the Mexican medical cannabis market and has achieved the legal and ethical importation, maquila, sale and dispensation of cannabinoid-based medicines in the country, including the use of molecules such as CBD, CBG, THC, among others. In 2019 he was elected president of the "Grupo Promotor de la Industria del Cannabis" a Mexican non-profit business group that unifies the industry, with the participation of international and local players. He has participated as a speaker in various spaces, both national and international, where he has been invited by both private and governmental groups, including countries such as Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, United States, Peru, Uruguay and of course Mexico.

Pablo Ricaud, Co-founder and President, Rising Farms

Degree in Finance from the Universidad Iberoamericana with experience in private equity funds and Startups in Mexico and Silicon Valley. Founder and President of Rising Farms. Formerly Vice President of Latin America for Silicon Valley private equity fund Arc Labs.
Pharis Rico 2

Pharis Rico, Managing Director, HortiConnect NL

A business platform with a Dutch identity that brings together companies providing technology, services and knowledge focused on protected horticulture. His work has been oriented towards building bridges of collaboration between Dutch possibilities and the vibrant Mexican horticultural sector, proposing solutions based on synergy. An important part of his work is done in the Netherlands, proposing models of collaboration between Dutch companies for the development of technological options and technology transfer focused on increasing the efficiency and profitability of greenhouse operations in Mexico and, in turn, on the translation of these needs. Within the industry, he also serves as a director at Plantanova, a company dedicated to the propagation of grafted horticultural seedlings for cultivation in hydroponic greenhouses specializing in the high-tech horticultural sector.

Annie van de Riet, President, AVAG

The Dutch greenhouse technology centre. She has earned her stripes in horticulture and advocacy. Annie is proud of the sector she is privileged to represent: 75 companies with a combined turnover of €3 billion, 80% of which is generated abroad. Through the association, these companies pull together to create quality standards and carry out research and development, for example. Joint innovation in a pre-competitive environment has made the sector strong. A Dutch supplier stands for the application of state-of-the-art techniques with excellent quality.
Miguel Angel Rojas

Miguel Ángel Rojas, Business Development Director, HORTI LATAM, SIGNIFY

Electronics and Control Engineer from the UAM. International patent on an intelligent electronic ballast for HPS lamps. Support to LED lighting developers in FUTURE ELECTRONICS 2008-2014. Business Developer and technical support to professional lighting manufacturers in PHILIPS 2014-2020. LED lighting product and applications manager at SIGNIFY LATAM for production improvements in HORTICULTURE.

Danielle Rose, CEO, Ceragen

Agtech company developing probiotics for plants that increase crop yields in hydroponic fruit and vegetable production. She has a background in microbiology and genetics, with a focus on plant growth promoting bacteria. Danielle and her Co-founder were recently listed on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Science.

Claudio García Salgó, Co-Founder, AGreenVesting

Economist from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) with a Masters in Law and Economics from the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands and a Diploma in Business Administration Acceleration from UCLA University. Co-Founder of AGreenVesting, a company dedicated to providing financial and technical advice to companies and investors interested in participating in the agri-food sector. He has held management positions in various companies such as ProducePay as Country Manager; CitiBanamex leading the agro strategy for Mexico and Citibank Global; Director of Promotion in AgroFinanzas, SOFOL, part of Grupo Ecom and FIRA. He is a member of the Latin American Conservation Council (LACC).

Celene Solis, Business Development Consultant for Latin America, WayBeyond

With over 10 years’ experience in Agribusiness, including managing key accounts for one of the most important seed technology companies in the world, she is WayBeyond’s Business Development Consultant for Latin America, based in Mexico City. After studying a bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness, she began her career working at Bunge as a Soy Bean Oil Trader. After a decade as a trader, including significant time as Senior Trader of Commodities at Bartlett, she moved into key account manager roles at Monsanto and later at Bayer Crop Science. Joining WayBeyond in August 2021, she was the first of a growing on-the-ground team for WayBeyond in Mexico. In the past 12 months she has worked closely with WayBeyond’s Mexican customers to conduct successful Proof of Concept trials and their subsequent scaled-up rollouts, providing project communication, training and support for the farmers. Her relationships and deep understanding of the market coupled with her desire to assist the Mexican horticultural industry to prosper further by embracing data-driven growing means, she is well placed to offer insights on how growers can use data to improve growing practices and production outcomes.

Juan Gabriel Succar, Founder and co-CEO, Verde Compacto

Graduate of IPADE's senior management programme for companies in the agro-industrial sector. Founder and co-CEO of Verde Compacto: "The leading vertical farming company in Mexico", Mordor Intelligence. Verde Compacto is one of the 3 winners of the Heineken Green Challenge and of Entrepreneur Mexico magazine's Top 20 companies that are saving the planet. Since 2016 they have been designing and developing controlled environment vertical farms with which they are transforming the way we produce and consume our food with a sustainable impact around the world. As an Entrepreneur, he is on a mission to motivate more people to develop a sustainable business that can improve the world for us and the people of the future.

Edison Torrado-Leon, Director, ENTOMA Institute, Colombia

Worked in insecticide/acaricide research at the multinational Hoechst - AgrEVO (Bought by Bayer). He was director of research and development of the company Live System Technology in entomopathogenic fungi and coordinator of the programme ''Integrated Pest Management'' of the Agroindustrial Research and Consultancy Centre (today Biosystems Centre) of the University Jorge Tadeo Agrarian Sciences, Bogotá, with courses for undergraduate and postgraduate as Behaviour and ecology of pests, Entomology, Biological Control and Integrated Pest Management. He started his business activity with the company Naturavision, oriented to scientific communication through microscopic photographs and videos. To meet the demand for education and research specialising in pests, in 2016 he founded the ENTOMA Institute, an academic and scientific centre.

Gabriel Trejo, General Manager, Cosechos

Business Administrator from ITESM Campus Querétaro. Producer of bell peppers under medium and high technology greenhouses. Producer of poultry for meat in the state of Hidalgo. Founding partner of the company Cosechos de Tecozautla since 2006. General Manager of Hortinvest Mexico SA de CV, a leading company in the production and marketing of bell peppers for export to the USA and Canada.

Pablo Antonio Ugalde, Product Manager, Ridder Mexico

He holds a degree in Mathematics from the National Polytechnic Institute. He has more than 10 years of experience in data analysis within the agri-food, automotive and retail sectors. Within the agri-food sector as part of the operational team working for greenhouses, as well as provider of solutions for protected crops.

Maria Pérez Vázquez, Managing Director - CEO, OLEOFLOR

She holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and Business Innovation from the Universidad Panamericana, and a Master's degree in Engineering with a specialization in Operations Management and Project Management. She defines herself as a sports enthusiast, she was Mexico's representative in Sailing at international level and a multi medallist. She defines sport as a key element in her life to develop qualities of excellence, teamwork, discipline, commitment and leadership. Since she was a child, she showed a great love for the countryside and floriculture, which led her to make the Oleoflor project a reality, a 100% Mexican company of the Oleomex group, dedicated to the sustainable production and commercialization of cut flowers.

Julio César Velázquez González, Manager, R&D of Koppert Mexico

Biotechnological Engineer from the Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UnACh); Master of Science (Entomology and Acarology) from the Colegio de Postgraduados; PhD in Science (Entomology and Acarology) from the Colegio de Postgraduados Colpos. In 2014 he started his professional career at Koppert Mexico as Research and Development Coordinator. In 2017, he started as Manager of Beneficial Production and Research and Development. Part of his objectives in the company have been to discover, develop, demonstrate and launch new biological control solutions within the context of Integrated Pest Management.

Jasper Verhoeven, Products Specialist Disinfection and Hygiene, Royal Brinkman

He grew up in a family greenhouse growing cucumbers and tomatoes. After several internships in the horticultural sector, he worked in vegetable cultivation between 2011 and 2018 and visited numerous horticultural companies on several continents. He joined the HortiHygienz concept early on, where he helps, together with local specialists, customers abroad to approach a higher level of hygiene in their company. He likes to help horticultural companies to implement hygiene solutions in a practical way. Together with the customer, he designs an effective route, or an extensive step-by-step plan for crop rotation tailor-made every time.

Luis Jorge Villarreal, General Manager, Metaliser

Electrical Engineer graduated from Tecnológico de Monterrey, he began his professional development in the Steel Industry for more than 20 years in leading companies such as HYLSA, GALVAK and PROLAMSA. He is the General Manager of METALISER, a Mexican company specialized in the manufacture a Mexican company specializing in the manufacture, design and construction of Agricultural greenhouses, as well as Automated Irrigation and Climate Control Systems. He was president of AMCI, Mexican Association of Greenhouse Builders during 2011- 2012. He actively collaborates as a lecturer in congresses and seminars of associations and universities such as: AMHPAC, AMCI, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Universidad de Almería and INTAGRI.

Oscar Woltman, Procurement, Agrícola Globalmex

In charge of strengthening the growth of Globalmex's producers and responsible for developing new alliances with more producers. Non-agricultural social geographer. Former president of AMHPAC during the period from 2016 to 2019. From 2007 to 2021 he was Director of FreshMex, building a network of suppliers and own production of bell bell pepper, cemented in a team of professionals for export to USA and Canada using his trading company Levarht.

Tomás Barberena Zermeño, Operations Director, SOLUSOL

Master's Degree, Automotive Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Industrial Engineering from the Universidad del Valle de México. Prior to SOLUSOL, he worked at Gamesa Innovation & Technology for 4 years, supporting quality assurance, supplier development in China for wind turbine gearbox components, as a supplier quality assurance engineer in Spain, Belgium and Germany.