Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 7 Sunflower, Canola and Sorghum Production Hybrid Seed Production Processing, Packaging and Distribution Brand Support & Consultation Nathan Williams • International 00.1.530.681.2782 • nathan@alphasunseed.com WWW.ALPHASUNSEED.COM Your Independent North American Partner in Northern California FIRST CLASS SEED PRODUCTION AND SERVICE Contact us to learn how AlphaSun Seed can offer • TRAINEE PROGRAM KWS offers newcomers after their studies the possibility of taking on professional responsibility as a trainee in a priority sector within the framework of a two-year program. The trainee will be introduced to different departments, both domestic and abroad, as an intern. ‘In doing so, the focus is always on the personal and professional education of our trainees’, says Saarteinen-Erben. The program also allows the possibility to have a closer look into other areas. • INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (IDP) The IDP helps junior executives prepare for the challenges of the business world in the coming decade. Taking into account the company’s principles, this three-stage program develops their ability to work in an international context and underscores the importance of collaboration with others at and outside KWS. • INTERNAL MENTORING PROGRAM In addition to that since 2013 there is an internal mentoring program, in which each participant gets a top manager as a mentor. ‘This mentoring is well established and very popular worldwide, especially because the relationship is long enduring’, says Saarteinen-Erben. The mentoring is not only popular among the young professionals but also among the mentors. KWS is one of the world’s leading plant breeding companies. In the fiscal year 2014/15, 4,700 employees in 70 countries generated net sales of �986 million and earnings before interest and taxes of �113 million. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for some 160 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for corn, sugar beet, cereals, rapeseed and sunflowers. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield and resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested �174 million during the last fiscal year in research and development—17.7 per cent of its net sales. • KWS BREEDERS’ ACADEMY Another recruitment and retention success is the KWS Breeders’ Academy, which is both a training and job entrance program for crop breeders. The academy is a hands-on training program supervised by experienced senior breeders. The two years of training are split up into two countries, two crops and two supervisors. An essential part of the training is assuming responsibility for certain parts of KWS breeding programs. Additionally, individuals can participate in specific university classes. Janna Saarteinen-Erben, Head of Corporate Human Resources at KWS SAAT SE