Summer School Greenhouse Horticulture participant Juan Fernández-Mellado
- Juan Fernández-Mellado
- Corporate Finance & Strategy
“A transformative experience that connected me to top minds in agriculture, and investors, pushing my venture in the saffron sector in Spain to the next level.”
Juan Fernández-Mellado, Corporate Finance & Strategy in Madrid, Spain. He followed the Summer School Greenhouse Horticulture and shares his experience with us.
With a background in corporate finance, strategy and sustainability, Juan Fernández- Mellado recently made a career into AgriTech sector, focusing on the saffron industry, in Spain.
“I’ve always been passionate about the environment, though I chose to study BBA, Economics and Law first, so I could later bring those skills into an agricultural project."
“When I found the Summer School Greenhouse Horticulture, it was exactly the kind of training I was looking for.”
Juan had initially considered an Executive MBA, but realized the Wageningen University & Research Summer School was more directly aligned with his goals, connecting with key market players in the Agriculture value chain (e.g. growers, investors and AgroConsultants).
“What I experienced here went far beyond my expectations, mainly because of three things:
1) the diversity of professional backgrounds
2) the international mix of participants
3) the high-quality of the professors and greenhouse visits.”
For Juan, the networking was as valuable as the lectures.
“We were 35 participants from around 17 countries, ranging from growers and investors to data analysts and insurers. Those conversations enriched the learning enormously. In fact, one colleague from the course may now collaborate on the machine learning part of our saffron project. That would never have happened without this program.”
“We were 35 participants from around 17 countries, ranging from growers and investors to data analysts and insurers.”
He also appreciated the strong connection between Wageningen University & Research and the industry.
“The professors were generous in sharing advice for my project, and Wageningen’s applied research approach makes it highly relevant for real-world challenges. It shows why the university is a global leader in agriculture.”
Would he recommend the Summer School?
“Definitely. It gives you knowledge, inspiration, and meaningful connections. For me, it confirmed that I’m on the right path in agriculture, and gave me partners to walk it with.”