b'20 Most Influential Women IN THE EUROPEAN SEED SECTOR IN 2023MEREL LANGENS MILENA OUZUNOVA Global Head of Industry Affairs, BASF | NunhemsHead of Breeding Technologies Corn and Oil Crops at KWS Active in Euroseeds and Plantum on phytosanitary topics,With her inquiring mind and love for science, Milena Ouzunova Merel Langens engages in discussions with EU Commissionhas advanced KWS corn and oil crops breeding during her 27 and EPPO members, advocating for regulations that preventyears with the company. Cooperations with research institutions pest spread while facilitating trade. Her contributions related toenable her to transfer findings from science into practice and EU-emergency measures for Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virusto sharpen the scientific view of plant breeding needs and showcase dedication to industry collaboration and effective pestchallenges. Ouzunova has a passion for training and develop-management. As one of the leading ISHI-Veg members andment of the next generation of molecular breeders. Ouzunova 15-year chair of the solanaceous crops working group, Langensis honorary professor at the Technical University of Munich played a pivotal role in setting standards for seed health testing,and holds an honorary doctorate of the Bulgarian Academy of including initiatives such as spearheading the Systems ApproachAgriculture. At KWS, she established the working group Breeding development and chairing the ISF Expert group, and aiming toTechnologies Maize and Oil Crops, comprising approximately simplify and harmonize the international movement of seeds.65 people supporting corn, sorghum, rapeseed and sunflower Recognizing the need for practical rules, Langens actively fos- breeding. Ouzunova comes from Bulgaria but has lived in ters collaboration between vegetable seed companies and ISTAGermany for over 30 years. She places great emphasis on members, striving to develop protocols that are both effectivethe concept of diversity, both in regard to culture (shes proud and feasible. These efforts significantly influence the globalthat 14 nationalities are represented in her team) and gender movement of seeds, ensuring access to seeds for all customers.equality. SEVERINE JEANNEAURUPASHREE DASS Head of Sustainable Seed and Plant Health in Corteva Head of Research at ComputomicsAgriscience Rupashree Dass is a passionate and dedicated researcherSverine Jeanneau stands out as a distinctive figure in the seed with a proven track record in the field of machine learning forsector, with 20 years of experience within various sector organ-plant breeding. Her expertise is widely recognized, as sheizations including InVivo, Syngenta and Corteva. Her pledge to has completed numerous scientific publications, articles, andadvancing sustainable and innovative agriculture, combined with presentations at international conferences. Dass has spear- her active involvement in the agricultural community, positions headed several data science projects focusing on machineher as an essential link in the seed sector. Jeanneaus continual learning algorithms to fully capture the GenotypeEnvironmentengagement and frequent interactions with diverse expert groupsManagement interaction in maize and barley. Leading theand agricultural organizations reflect her commitment to fostering Future Climates Project and delivering insights on what seeda collaborative approach. Besides her current role in Corteva varieties can successfully grow in which regions over the comingAgriscience, she is also a board member and the president of the decades, she is dedicated to harnessing the power of AI forMaize & Sorghum section in the French Seed Association (UFS). innovative agriculture solutions. By collaborating across teams,She also contributes to the FNPSMS Bureau and embraces the universities, and clients, Dass is addressing some of the seedsectors key challenges. Her involvement in FranceAgriTwittos, an sectors most pressing challenges, including environmental andassociation aimed at (re)creating connections between the agri-climate change issues. She is passionate about translating aca- cultural world and society at large, strengthens her unwavering demic research into commercial use. She is a shining exampledesire to share her expertise. Jeanneaus efforts in sustainable of leadership and a true inspiration to her peers and colleaguesagriculture development and positive communication, where she in the EU seed sector, say her nominators. continuously seeks to centralize agriculture in discussions, estab-lish her as an indispensable source of inspiration that transcends borders across the seed industry. 16ISEED WORLD EUROPEISEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE'