Speakers ABIM 2025 at a glance

Alberto Acedo - Cofounder & CSO, Biome Makers

Martin Andermatt - Chairman of the Board, Andermatt Group AG

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Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Anniversary Celebration

Dorian Aznar - PhD Student, ANTOFENOL

Student from University of Montpellier since 2015, after a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in (nano) - Biotechnology, biochemistry and microbiology I started a PhD (CIFRE) in 2022 between academia and industry supported by UMR QualiSud, which specializes in understanding the dynamic mechanisms involved in constructing food safety and, Antofénol's multidisciplinary expertise focuses on the development of biocontrol solutions. My PhD aims to study, understand, and demonstrate the mode of action of Antoferine® by identifying key molecules from the plant extract and their impact on specific structures or functions essential to fungal physiology.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Antoferine® an eco-friendly plant extract, inhibits fungal growth and mycotoxin production

Karel Bolckmans - BioFirst Group

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Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote and Panel discussion (Panellist)

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Anniversary Celebration

Natalie Breakfield - VP of Research and Discovery, NewLeaf Symbiotics

Natalie Breakfield is Vice President of Research and Discovery at NewLeaf Symbiotics. In this position, she directs research programs for testing and validating products for sustainable agriculture made with pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) technology. She obtained an M.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from University of Missouri - Kansas City, a Ph.D. in Genetics and Genomics from Duke University, and was a postdoctoral fellow at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. She has been a member of the board of directors of the International Alliance for Phytobiomes Research (Phytobiomes Alliance) since 2020.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
TS201 uses multiple modes of action to mitigate corn rootworm as part of IPM strategy

Poliana Cardoso-Gustavson - Global Marketing Manager - Insights and Innovation, Croda

José Carvalho - EMEA Regulatory Lead, Certis Biologicals

José Carvalho holds a PhD in Environmental Chemistry from the Humboldt University in Berlin and a Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Porto University, with a focus on microbiology, antibiotics resistance and immunology. Previous to joining the industry, José worked for the Portuguese Water Institute, the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and the German Federal Institute for Material Science and Testing (BAM) in analytical methods, publishing 11 peer-reviewed articles and 2 book chapters. Since 2020, José is working as European Regulatory Lead for Certis Biologicals and prior to that in several regulatory and business positions within the crop protection industry. He is currently the Chair of the Microbial Professional Group at IBMA, an expert group dealing with microorganism registrability issues and market access for microorganism-based technologies in agriculture.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Session 6: Actions to Accelerate Biocontrol (Chair)

David Cary - Honorary Member IBMA and ABIM Fellow

David Cary was a pivotal figure in the biocontrol industry and ABIM. He was appointed as the 1st Executive Director of IBMA and served in that role from 2009 to 2019 and is now an Honorary Member. He was a member of the organising team at ABIM from 2009 to 2022 and is an Honorary Member of ABIM. He is an entomologist by training and has represented the industry at FAO, OECD and EU level. He has served under 4 IBMA Presidents and worked closely with Bernard Blum who was often referred to as the founding father of IBMA. He has been involved in the Bernard Blum Award since its creation and now is Chair of the judging panel. He is a Member of the Board of PAN Europe and it’s Vice Chairman and Treasurer. He was a Member of the Board of PA Europe until December 2024. He is Chairman of his local Parish Council, Braunston Parish Council and Treasurer of the Braunston Climate Action Network.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Bernard Blum Award (Host)

Camille Delpoux - COO, AGRIODOR

Agricultural engineer, Camille has spent the past ten years building her experience through various roles at every link in the value chain of crop production (R&D, production management, training, marketing). Through the development of multi-partner projects within the agricultural ecosystem, she has specialized in the commercial development of innovations, notably within the Roullier Group.
In 2020, her encounter with Ené Leppik and Alain Thibault presented an opportunity to dive into an entrepreneurial project and develop a cutting-edge biocontrol technology with the creation of Agriodor. Convinced that the agroecological transition will be driven by making biosolutions available to farmers, she joined the company's management team, taking responsibility for coordinating operations from the development of solutions to ensuring their market readiness.
AGRIODOR draws inspiration from nature, creating scent blends from molecules naturally emitted by plants to modify pest insect behavior and protect crops.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 4: 30 Years of IBMA & 20 Years of ABIM

Yonatan Eran - Chief Scientific Officer, BioBee Sde Eliyahu Ltd.

Livia Esterhazy - Programme Director, A Lighter Touch Programme

Livia joined the A Lighter Touch Programme in October 2022 as Programme Director. A Lighter Touch is an industry and government partnership on a mission to support New Zealand growers moving from agrichemical reliance to an agroecological approach to crop protection, working with nature to build productive, sustainable and resilient farming systems.
Given Livia’s huge passion for the health of people and planet through food, driving this kind of real system change to ensure the agri-food sector is future-proofed, is a perfect fit. As the former CEO of WWF New Zealand, Livia knows the benefits and power of working with nature for nature, and is using this to help ensure New Zealand produce is grown using more sustainable farming systems and lighter touch food production.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote and Panel discussion (panellist)

Annabelle Gilgen - Technical Development Manager Biocontrol, Amoéba

Annabelle Gilgen is a Biocontrol Technical Development Manager at Amoéba, a French biotechnology company specializing in natural plant protection solutions. After 10 years of experience, She has been conducting field trials across various crops, including grapevine, tomato and banana, to assess the efficacy of Axpera against fungal diseases such as downy mildew, late blight, and powdery mildew. Annabelle Gilgen is an agricultural engineer graduated from the institut Agrosup Dijon in France.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
AXPERA: a new biofungicide based on a lysate of the non-pathogenic amoeba Willaertia magna C2c Maky

Asefeh Golreihan - Regulatory Manager, LKC Switzerland Ltd.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Workshop 1: Formulation and Application
Nanotechnology‑Enabled Biocontrol: Formulation Breakthroughs and Regulatory Complexities 

Lorena Halty - Study Director, i2L Research

Lorena Halty is a multidisciplinary researcher with a strong background in biology, specializing in ecology and insect biology. She holds a PhD in insect neurophysiology from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena (Germany) and a Master's degree in Evolution, Ecology, and Systematics from Friedrich Schiller University in the same city. Before joining i2L as a Study Director, Lorena was actively involved in a rooftop garden project dedicated to promoting sustainability, biocontrol, and social well-being through urban agriculture. Currently at i2L Research, she focuses on developing efficacy testing protocols for semiochemicals, particularly pheromones, to enhance integrated pest management (IPM) and biocontrol strategies. Her work aims to improve pest control solutions through innovative research and application.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Overcoming challenges of pheromone testing under simulated use conditions

Juliana Jaramillo - Lead for Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture at the Rainforest Alliance

Juliana Jaramillo is the Lead for Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture at the Rainforest Alliance, where she drives global efforts to scale nature-based solutions and agroecological practices across tropical farming systems. With over 20 years of experience in sustainable agriculture—including cutting-edge research on coffee pests, biological control, and climate change adaptation—Juliana bridges science and practice to help farmers and companies achieve greater resilience and environmental impact. She holds a PhD in entomology and biological control and has published extensively on integrated pest management and climate-smart agriculture. She also brings experience from the plant protection private sector, where she worked on sustainable pest management solutions. Juliana is committed to advancing regenerative food systems that support farmer livelihoods and protect ecosystems.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Session 6: Actions to accelerate biocontrol

Sylvia Kuria - Organic Farmer

Sylvia Kuria is a Kenyan organic farmer and entrepreneur on a mission to make organic produce accessible. She connects 30+ small-scale farmers to markets, aggregating and selling over 5 tonnes of organic produce monthly to bulk buyers. Passionate about training and empowering farmers, she champions safe, sustainable farming. When she’s not in the fields, she’s documenting her journey through writing.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 2: Biocontrol in Action

Mara Kraft - Expert Engineer, Evologic Technologies GmbH

Mara Kraft is an expert engineer specializing in fungal cultivation and formulation. Graduating from BOKU Vienna in biotechnology, she brings a strong foundation in applied microbiology and engineering to the table. Her work at Evologic focuses on the development of manufacturing technologies for microbials – from lab to industrial scale. She has dedicated her career to harnessing the potential of fungi to develop sustainable solutions for agriculture. Mara believes that unlocking the full potential of fungal-based products through innovations and robust manufacturing platforms will be key to transitioning global agriculture toward more sustainable and resilient systems.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Debottlenecking Conidial Biopesticides: How scalable production can close the Gap from Lab to Field

Jennifer Lewis - Executive Director, IBMA Global

Jennifer Lewis was appointed as IBMA Executive Director in 2019. Jennifer is passionate about IPM, reducing the reliance on traditional pesticides through the uptake of these integrated programmes of pest and disease control in crop production throughout Europe.
Prior to IBMA, for 10 years Jennifer Lewis was a member of the Certis Europe Management Board as Head of Innovation and Development and during this period was Vice Chair of IBMA UK.
Earlier Jennifer was General Manager of BCP, a beneficial insect production company selling beneficial insects for pest control, which was purchased by Certis Europe.
Jennifer has worked in crop protection for 35 years in various marketing, regulatory and stewardship roles in the US, Brazil and Europe. Jennifer is an agronomy graduate with a Masters in Business Administration and a Diploma in Sustainable Business Development.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Opening: Welcome note

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 2: Biocontrol in Action (Chair)

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Closing

Laura Mahecha - Director, Agrochemicals, Kline & Company

Laura is a Director of Kline Agrochemicals practice, with global business responsibilities over Kline’s syndicated titles. With 29 years of extensive market research experience mainly on B2B markets such as agrochemicals, specialty pesticides, and biologicals she is responsible for managing Kline's flagship studies in these areas, as well as developing new products. Laura has authored and managed multiple studies including market research, analysis, survey and sample design, and forecasting. Laura’s expertise includes design of large-scale end-user structured surveys, market assessments, forecasts, competitive analyses, innovation analyses, and regulatory assessments. In her current role, Laura is responsible for client relationships and service and manages a global team of consultants who conduct primary and secondary research on the agrochemicals.
In addition to her responsibilities with Kline’s syndicated services, Laura has been involved as a market expert in numerous proprietary assignments pertaining to her areas of expertise including new product concepts, forecasting, competitive assessments, and customer perceptions. Laura holds a M.S. degree in marketing from Rutgers University, and a masters of business administration in pharmaceutical studies from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
The Business of Biologicals: Key Market Trends

Anna Madden - Farmer and Agronomist, Crop Capsules Company

Anna Madden’s childhood on her family farm in Australia fostered a passion for agriculture and biodiversity, leading her to complete a BSc in Rural Science (Hon) at university. Anna is now a farmer and agronomist with over 30 years of commercial field experience. In 2020, she and her husband founded The Crop Capsules Company after applying Eretmocerus hayati to their own crops and their cotton clients crops for many years. Their flagship product, CottonCap, is a groundbreaking solution for mass releasing beneficial wasps for the treatment of silverleaf whitefly in Australian cotton crops, scaling biological control into thousands of hectares. 

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 2: Biocontrol in Action

Coralie Misson - R&D Manager, Minagro

Alessandra Moccia - Vice President, IBMA Global

Alessandra strongly believes in a future where our farming practices become more sustainable. In 2012 she joined Suterra where she directs the Regulatory Affairs department, ensuring the registration of semiochemicals active substances and products globally. From 2018 to 2023 she chaired the IBMA semiochemical professional group. Since 2024 she is Vice President of IBMA Global.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote and Panel discussion (Chair)

Renaud Perrin - Formulation Chemist, Stepan

Alain Querrioux - CEO, Andermatt France, Treasurer IBMA Global

Alain Querrioux is a French-born agronomist, who has been active in the agricultural sector for the past 35 years. He assumed several technical, commercial and management positions covering a wide spectrum of agricultural and regulatory environments around the globe. In the late 90’s, his deeply rooted commitment to alternative solutions triggered his decision to fully dedicate his energy to the development of Biocontrol. He joined pure-players and witnessed the early development of the industry in pioneering times, and now enjoys the excitement of its booming development. Innovation has always been a key driver in Alain’s professional live, together with the aim to let farmers benefit performing, healthy and cost-effective alternative solutions to protect their crops. Over the years, Alain has developed an excellent knowledge of our industry, of its history, markets and main stakeholders. In 2014, Alain co-founded the French branch of the Andermatt group, which he has successfully been running and developing sofar. In the meantime, he has been active in IBMA governance, as a Council and Board member of the French association. In January 2023, he joined IBMA Global Board as Treasurer.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Opening: Welcome note

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote and Panel discussion (Panellist)

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Anniversary Celebration

Willem Ravensberg - Former IBMA President and Advisor HeyFever Consulting

Dr. Willem Ravensberg holds a Master’s in Biology from Leiden University (1981) and a PhD from Wageningen University (2010), where his thesis on microbial pest control was later published as a book by Springer.
He began his career in 1981 at Koppert BV, where he established the R&D Department and led the development of natural enemies, microbial insecticides, and quality control systems. In 1999, he became head of the R&D Microbials Department, leading innovations like the fungicide Enzicur, and securing the company’s first patent.
Willem has over 30 years of experience in regulatory affairs, particularly in the registration of biopesticides (macros, micros, natural products, semiochemicals). He served on the board of Artemis (2011–2023) and held multiple leadership roles in IBMA, including President (2013–2018), where he spearheaded efforts for better EU bioprotectant regulation and co-authored the IBMA White Paper. He also represented Koppert in BPIA and co-founded BioProtection Global.
From 2019 to 2023, Willem served as Senior Corporate Governmental and Regulatory Manager at Koppert before retiring. He has published over 80 scientific works, including key books on microbial bioprotectants. Notable honors include the World Bioprotection Forum’s Outstanding Achievement Award (2022), the Artemis “Willem Ravensberg Award” (2023), and the New IPM Award for Sustainable Agriculture (2024).
After 42 years at Koppert, Willem joined HeyFever Consulting as Senior Bioprotectant Development Advisor.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 4: 30 Years of IBMA & 20 Years of ABIM

Gabriele Schachermayr  - Assistant Director, Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG

Dr. Gabriele Schachermayr has served as Deputy Director of the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) since July 2018, where she leads the Production Bases, Natural Resources and Research Directorate. Her career spans over two decades in agricultural science, policy, and international research management.
Prior to her current role, she was Head of the Plant Health and Varieties Division at FOAG from 2009 to 2018. Between 2003 and 2009, she oversaw an international research programme in agricultural and environmental biotechnology at EPFL Lausanne. Earlier, she led research projects at Agroscope, Switzerland’s federal center of excellence for agricultural research, contributing to advances in plant science and sustainable agriculture.
Dr. Schachermayr holds a doctorate in plant breeding from ETH Zurich and a postgraduate degree in public management and policy from the University of Bern. Her academic journey began in agronomy with a specialization in plant production at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Keynote Speaker

Max Schulman - Farmer, Senior Advisor, cereals oilseeds, Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) Finland

Max is a farmer, grain trader, and agricultural advisor. He owns Stor-Tötar Gård, a farm in Southwestern Finland. He previously worked for the Finnish Grain Board and in the agricultural machinery sector. Since 2008, he has served as Senior Advisor at the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK). Max is also Chairman of the Copa-Cogeca Phytosanitary Working Group, Vice Chairman of the Seeds Working Group, and a member of several EU-level agricultural observatories.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 2: Biocontrol in Action

Gloria Andrea Silva-Castro - Head of the Microbiology Department, Mafa Bioscience S.A.

PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Granada, Spain. Specialist in the use of microorganisms and their derivatives for the bioremediation of both contaminated environments and agro-industrial waste from a multidisciplinary perspective. Research has focused on two lines ‘Bioremediation of soils and waters by means of bioaugmentation, biostimulation and phytostabilisation techniques’, as well as ‘Optimisation and scaling of bioremediation of agro-industrial waste in agricultural bioproducts’. She has participated in more than 14 research projects and is the author of 32 scientific and technical communications.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Innovation in Nematode Management: Development of a Biological Product with Aspergillus niger

Milena Stephan - Group Leader - Regulatory Affairs, Crop Protection, knoell Germany GmbH

Kaspar Sutter -  State Councillor, Canton Basel-Stadt 

Monday, 20 October 2025, Opening: Welcome note
 

Isabella Takahashi Kitano - R&D Scientist - Crop Solutions, Indorama Ventures

Lucius Tamm - CEO, ABIM AG

Dr. Lucius Tamm holds a degree in agricultural engineering from ETH Zurich and has more than 25 years plant pathology R&D experience working on cereals, potatoes, grapevine and horticultural crops. Lucius has published > 100 papers and book chapters and been a partner or coordinated in EU projects since 2001. He is also guest lecturer at several universities. Until May 2023, he was Head of Department of Crop Sciences at the Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). He led FiBL’s R&D activities for the development of crop protection solutions and has also been involved in the development of improved registration procedures for novel plant protection products. Since 2023, he has joined Agroscope, the leading agricultural research organization in Switzerland and coordinates its research programmes & international collaborations. Lucius was co-founder of ABIM in 2006 and is CEO of ABIM AG.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations (Chair)

Monday, 20 October 2025, Opening: Welcome note

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Poster session (Chair)

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Closing

Steve Trim - Chief Scientific Officer, Ventera Bio Ltd

Steve is a co-founder and the chief scientific officer at Ventera Bio Ltd in the UK. As a venom peptide expert of 14 years as founder and CSO at Venomtech Ltd, he leads the science at Ventera to develop novel venom derived biopesticides. Prior to starting Venomtech, Steve was a drug discovery biologist at Pfizer for 10 years where he learnt is research and development skills that he now applies to biopesticides.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
A new class of natural peptide biopesticides

Jean-Marc Vandoorne - CEO of BioFirst Group

Jean-Marc Vandoorne is the CEO of BioFirst Group (formerly Biobest Group), a global leader in biological crop protection and pollination. Since stepping into the CEO role in 2009, Jean-Marc has overseen the company’s remarkable growth, driven by both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. What began as a niche player with a €25 million turnover is now projected to exceed €500 million in 2025. BioFirst Group continues to pioneer sustainable alternatives to chemical crop protection, addressing critical issues such as residues, resistance, and regulatory challenges. Before leading BioFirst group, Jean-Marc served as Senior Vice-President at Alliance Laundry Systems, overseeing business operations in several regions. He was also President of IPSO, where he displayed a strong capacity for company growth. Jean-Marc’s expertise was further developed at ExxonMobil as a Supply Chain Manager and at Arthur Andersen. He holds a Master’s in Business Engineering from the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, equipping him with a comprehensive understanding of business and management that he has applied effectively across diverse industries.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025, Session 4: 30 Years of IBMA & 20 Years of ABIM

Luca Volontè - Senior Research Analyst, S&P Global Commodity Insights

Peter Wren - Founder & CEO, Wharf42

Peter established Agritech New Zealand in 2018 and co-founded the Australia New Zealand Agritech Council in 2019.
In 2023, Peter co-established Platform10 with US-based partner, Western Growers. For context, Western Growers members produce over 50% of all vegetables, fruit, nuts and organics in North America.
Growers globally are up against mounting pest and disease challenges due to climate change, reduced efficacy, and diminishing availability of traditional pest control tools. 
Platform10 is an international, multi-year collaboration that will accelerate promising biopesticide companies, rigorously assess products, enhance grower confidence, and facilitate market development and adoption. With a diminishing toolset available to manage pest and disease because of regulation and consumer pressure, growers need to identify new biological and softer chemistry solutions to replace traditional chemical pesticide inputs. It’s a global challenge looking for global solutions.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Session 6: Actions to Accelerate Biocontrol

David Wright - Science Team Leader, AgResearch

David Wright leads the Microbial Solutions team at AgResearch, a New Zealand crown research institute. David has been developing microbial based products for over 20 years and has expertise in microbial fermentation, formulation, and the New Zealand regulatory environment. He holds an MSc in biocontrol from Lincoln University and has been involved in the development of commercial microbial based biopesticide products.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Serratia proteamaculans as a targeted biocontrol agent against New Zealand grass grub

Dmytro Yakovenko - Head of international development, BTU. Biotech company

Since 2017, I’ve led the international development at BTU – one of the top 25 biologicals manufacturers globally. We’ve built a presence in 20+ countries and are scaling toward 40+ by 2030. My background in Economics, Biotechnology, and Agroecology enables a strategic approach to market entry, partnerships, and regulatory strategy.

At BTU, we believe “Nature works.” My mission is to help translate this into practice – region by region, field by field.

• Opened BTU’s EU office in Germany and led projects across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas
• Oversaw 2300+ field trials; published data on soil health, productivity, and chemical reduction
• Built and lead a 20-person team across exports, registration, marketing, and technical support
• Speaker at ABIM, BioAgTech, World Biostimulants Congress, Farm2Fork, and NewAg International
• Led BTU nominations to the Visionary Award (top-20 globally) and BioAgTech Innovation Award (Liposam)
• Initiated key partnerships, including BTU–ICL collaboration and Kernel’s award-winning sustainability project
• Open to collaboration and dialogue to advance the global biologicals industry.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Metawhite Beauveria for Biological Control of Soil-Dwelling Larvae: Melolontha, Gryllotalpa, Tenebri

Tzvi Zvirin - Co-founder and CEO, BioArmix

Dr. Tzvi Zvirin is Co-Founder and CEO of BioArmix, an ag-biotech company pioneering the use of shelf-stable, non-GMO predatory bacteria to prevent crop losses caused by bacterial diseases. With over 15 years of experience in biotechnology, genetic engineering, and microbiology, Tzvi has a proven track record of turning science into scalable solutions. He previously co-founded BioBetter, where he led the transformation of tobacco plants into bioreactors, driving the company from inception to early commercialization. He is also a co-founder of RubisPro, which upcycles agricultural residues into plant-based proteins for human food.
At BioArmix, Tzvi leads the development of a breakthrough, dry-powder formulation of predatory bacteria that replaces antibiotics and copper pesticides. The product is room-temperature stable, field-proven, and applicable across agriculture, aquaculture, and biofilm control.
Tzvi is passionate about solving real-world challenges through science and scaling sustainable technologies that empower growers and improve global food systems. He frequently speaks at international industry events and is currently advancing BioArmix’s global partnerships and investment round.

Monday, 20 October 2025, Session 1: Showcasing Innovations
Turning Nature’s Predators Into Crop Protectors