Raquel Aguado has got a degree in Law and a Masters Degree in International Trade by the University of Valencia. She completed her education with International Business studies at the Southbank Polytechnical University in London and Top Management courses at the Berkeley University in San Francisco. Raquel Aguado has been working in the field of internationalization and management for more than 25 years and has held management positions in both the public and private sectors. In recent years, these have included being Head of the International Specialization Service at the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE) and Director of the Foreign Office Network at the Valencian Institute of Exports (IVEX). She has also been Chair of the SME Feedback working group at the European Innovation Council and SME Executive Agency (EISMEA) at the European Commission. Since September 2023 she is Managing Director at FEDEMCO, where she dedicates her broad skills and experience at boosting an industry that offers the most sustainable packaging in the world. 

Alías Cantón Manuel holds a PhD in Tax Law (Business Management and Economics Programme) from the University of Almería and a Master's Degree in Taxation-Tax Consultancy from the Distance University of Madrid. He is an external collaborating lecturer in the inter-university master's degree in Local Law and Administration at the universities of Almería and Burgos and belongs to a research group on the social and autonomous state. He was Director General of Direct Aid and Markets before being appointed Secretary General of Agricultural Funds and Rural Development. He is also the Director of the Paying Agency for the Andalusian Agricultural Funds.

Rosa Altisent Rosell holds a PhD in Agricultural Engineering (2010) from the University of Lleida. She carried out several courses of management and leadership at different business schools, a.o.: 'Programme for Management Development" (ESADE), Strategic Innovation and Cross-Cultural Management Innovation (HEC-Paris), Strategic Management of the Agro-Food Company (University of Lleida). Since 2021, she is the Area Manager of Plant Science at IRTA including research departments of fruit production, postharvest, arable crops, plant protection, efficient use of water for irrigation, genomics and biotechnology.

Her primary responsibilities as Devision Manager are to identify, develop and lead the implementation of R&D and business strategies, build relationships with public and private stakeholders, oversee financial  performance, investments and other business ventures for the Plant Sciences Division, and valorize R&D results. 

Qualification: 

PDE - Management Development Programme at AESE Business School
GAIN - Management of Agribusiness at AESE Business School
Market Driving Strategies at the London Business School
Bachelor of Agriculture at ESACB

Goncalo Santos Andrade has been representing the F&V Portuguese sector in more than 50 countries, in four different continents, during the last six years. Three years ago, he joined the board of the Portuguese Farmers' Union where he was responsible  for all climate change and environmental issues. He also has 29 years of experience in the soft fruit industry and concerning other fruit and vegetables products. In 2005 he founded Lusomorango, S.A. - the 1^st Berries Producer Organization in Portugal. From 2006 to 2008 he was the vice president of FNOP - Portuguese Federation of Producers Organization. He is the fourth generation to run the family agricultural business Casa Prudencio.

Starting with her education in food engineering, she has always been working with issues related to agriculture and rural development whether it was at the public administration, milk laboratory or working on a farm with her parents. With a background like that starting at the Latvian Ministry of Agriculture, she joined the Commission in 2004 and held various positiions in the area of rural development (young farmers, farm business development). In 2019, she moved on within DG AGRI to become responsible for management of fruit and vegetables support. Since 2022, she is in charge of support provided to the fruit and vegetables sector within the framework of the CAP Strategic plans. 

Simona Caselli is from Parma, Italy, and holds a degree in Economics and Commerce with honors. She is an auditor enrolled in the National Register, and member of the National Agriculture Academy in Italy.

She has always been working in the Italian cooperative system as financial expert and administrator. Currently she is Head of European Affairs of Legacoop Agri-food and Commercial Director of the Financial Cooperative Consortium for Development.

She was Regional Minister for Agriculture of the Emilia-Romagna Region in the period 2015 - 2020. Since 2016 she has been President of AREFLH, the Assembly of European Horticultural Regions.

Studied agricultural engineering in "Universidad Politécnica de Madrid"
2018 - 2021: Engineering team at Vector Renewables, Madrid
2021 - 2022: Project developer at Island Green Power ("IGP"), Madrid
2022 - today: Project developer focused on agri-PV at BayWa r.e., Madrid

After graduating from Polytechnic University of Madrid, Carlota started her carrier as part of the engineering team in Vector Renewables assessing hundreds of MW of PV projects under development and already in operation. In 2022 with the experience of having evaluated many projects she then joined the "IGP" development team and focused on greenfield PV development. From this experience, her interest on the agri-PV sector started to grow and since 2022, she joined the BayWa r.e. team supporting the agri-PV project development in Spain.

• Msc degree Agricultural Engineer University of Leuven, Belgium (1989)
• from September 1998: at Koppert, the leading supplier of biological solutions for agricultural crops
• September 1998 - December 2004: Export Manager North-America. Market exploration South-America.
• January 2005 - December 2014: Commercial Director Koppert Spain. Leading the conversion of Almería greenhouses from pure chemical to integrated crop protection (2007 and following years)
• January 2014: Business Unit Manager Europe: directing the organization, business development and financial health of all Koppert subsidiaries and distributor countries in Europe. With focus on continuous diversification in new markets such soft fruits, citrus, fruit crops, outdoor vegetables and a wide range of other outdoor crops.

Kerstin Edelmann grew up on her parents' fruit-growing and trading farm in Styria (AT). Graduated with honors in communication sciences with a focus on public relations at the Paris Lodron University in Salzburg. Gathered practical experience in the field of PR, among others at 'Land&Forst-Betriebe Austria'.

Since 2006 employed at gfa-consulting gmbh as a management consultant. Focus of the activities on producer organizations for fruit and vegetables and the support of these organizations in the handling of subsidies via the so-called Operational Programs. Currently, gfa-consulting gmbh supports 21 producer organizations for fruit and vegetables in Germany and Austria.

In addition, Mrs. Edelmann has supervised various projects in regional development or other funding channels and is involved in the organization of the annual ICOP conference.

Together with her husband she runs a farm, which is specialized in the production of stone fruits (apricots, plums) and early apples.

•  Industrial Engineer and Agricultural Engineer with Master in production lines and Expert in Lean Manufacturing
• San Telmo Business School (AD1 Senior Management Programme)
• Management of global income statements
• Multidisciplinary development with experience in productive improvement and development of layouts in companies in the agricultural field
• Director of Operations and Production and CEO for the last 15 years of various multinationals

Expertise in the renewable energy business

• Agri-PV system development
• Agri-PV project development and management

Alice Lefort is an agronomist, specialized in agro-ecology. She has been working in the field of renewable energies since 2019, initially as an agronomist for wind and solar technology. She oversaw the elaboration of specific strategies to implement projects within agricultural areas, facilitating their uptake at a local level and improving their environmental impact.

Agronomist Engineer of the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM). Economic education and management and leadership courses at different business schools, such as London Business School or Georgetown. Professional career developed over 18 years (1993 - 2011) at Andersen Consulting, Cap Gemini, Globeflow / Kewill Systems, Matchmind /Telvent, in business consulting and ICT technology environments, occupying various management positions.

Since 2012, Mr. Molina is the CEO of Grupo Hispatec.

Juan Carlos Pérez Mesa is a full Professor in the Economics and Business Studies Department at the University of Almería. He specializes in the agri-business field and supply chain management. He is the author of several studies published in high impact journals and has participated in several international research projects related to agri-food. He currently is the Secretary of the Mediterranean Research Center of Economics and Sustainable Development (CIMEDES). Also, he is the coordinator of the Market Intelligence Department for the Andalusian Association of Organizations of Fruit and Vegetable Producers (APROA) and collaborator with the Spanish Interprofessional Organization of Greenhouse Crops (HortiEspana). Apart from that he is a member of the Directing Board of the Spanish Association of Agricultural Economics (AEEA). 

Professional experience in the private sector: trial technician on intensive horticultural production systems in Andalusia (Malaga, Granada and Almería).

Professional experience in the Ministry of Agriculture: monitoring and analysis of fruit and vegetables markets and design of elements related to direct aids and management on operational programmes of fruit and vegetable producer organisations in the framework for the application of the CAP in Spain.

PhD, Utrecht University (The Netherlands). Biologist; specialised in applied entomology. Between 1993 and 2003, he worked as head of the R&D Dept. of the Spanish subsidiary of Koppert Biological Systems, dedicated to the introduction of bumblebees for pollination in tomato crops and the development of biological control systems in Spanish greenhouses. Since 2003, he works at COEXPHAL (Association of Horticultural Producers and Exporters in Almería, Spain), as the coordinator of the Dept. Production Techniques. This department was startet with the aim to diminish pesticide use. Currently, the Dept. is focussed on sustainability of greenhouse horticulture in general. COEXPHAL has participated in many research projects, mostly in collaboration with different research institutes. The Dept. has played an important role in the massive implementation of biological control in Almería, mostly through courses and study days, directed to growers and field technicians. The major step towards biological control applications in Almería was achieved in 2007.

Luc Vanoirbeek lives in Zepperen (Belgium), in the middle of the Belgian fruit region. He holds a master degree in political and social sciences and worked for the Flemish Farmers' Union from 1986 until 2018. He spent the early years of his career as an educator in the movement for young farmers and rural youth. In 1988 he became the national chairman of those organizations.  In 1996 he switched to the study department of the Boerenbond as an advisor in social legislation. In that position he took part in the European Social Dialogue in the agricultural and horticultural sector. From 2002 to 2007 he was a fruit cultivation advisor and provincial director of the farmers's union in Limburg, after which he returned to the research department as a horticultural advisor. He then became a European and international advisor for farmers' union to conclude his career in the agricultural organization as spokesman. Since 2018 he is the general secretary of the association of Belgian horticultural cooperatives (VBT) and chairman of the working party Fruit and Vegetables of COPA-COGECA.

Antonio Villarroel has been working for the plant breeding and seed industry since 1995, when he joined as Lawyer and Managing Director GESLIVE, the organization created by main breeders operating in Spain to provide licensing, royalty collection and enforcement services. From 2006 he is also the Secretary General of ANOVE ("Spanish National Association of Plant Breeders"), from where he actively participates in the seed industry international organizations. 

Member of the Intellectual Property Committee of ISF (International Seed Federation), where he chairs the Working Group on "Illegal Seed Practices"; member of CIOPORA' Working Group "Enforcement"; and Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of Euroseeds (European Seed Association).

Mr. Villarroel has a Law Degree from University Complutense of Madrid. He has published several articles and regularly lectures on IP and plant breeders' rights in several Spanish Universities (Politécnica Madrid, Rey Juan Carlos Madrid, Córdoba, Alicante).