Meet the team
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Vincent Gros - PresidentVincent Gros became the President of ECPA in 2011. Born in Rouen, France, Vincent studied agronomy at the ENSAM in Montpellier and graduated there as an engineer. He has worked for BASF since 1992 where in 2005 he was appointed Director, Business Management Crop Protection France and Managing Director of BASF Agro SAS and BASF Agri Production. In 2010 he became the Group Vice President of BASF SE, Head of the Region Europe of the Crop Protection division where he is responsible for all EU and CIS countries, as well as for Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
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 | Friedhelm Schmider - Director GeneralFriedhelm is German and has an educational background in soil science, agriculture, forestry and biology. He obtained his PhD from the University of Hohenheim, Department of Soil Science, Germany. He has been with the crop protection industry for more 25-years holding a variety of technical and commercial leadership roles in both Germany and Asia. His widespread technical knowledge, public affairs experience and political interest have served to provide a solid foundation to his work in managing regulatory activities and relationships with international organisations, associations and authorities. Friedhelm also has a wide expertise in the fields of environment and nature conservation.
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 | Ángel Martín - Governmental Affairs ManagerÁngel is Spanish and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business Management. Since 2002 he has worked in EU Affairs in Brussels. As responsible for the EU Office of the Spanish Farming Organisation (ASAJA) he has worked on International and Government Affairs related to Agricultural issues, namely in collaboration with COPA-COGECA (European farmers and cooperatives association) and as a substitute Member of EESC (European Economic and Social Committee). At ECPA a focus of Ángel’s work is following legislative activities of the EU institutions in the field of crop protection and providing them, in particular Members of the European Parliament, with information regarding various aspects related to the sustainable protection of plants against pests and diseases.
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 | Anna Seretny - Communications CoordinatorAnna is Polish and holds a Masters degree in Journalism and Social Communications from the Jagiellonian University, Krakow. Anna developed her online communications skills working for a number of PR agencies and online newspapers in Poland, and thereafter launched her career in Brussels by working in the European Parliament as a Parliamentary Assistant to a Polish MEP. Before joining ECPA in April 2011, Anna also worked for biotech assocation - EuropaBio. In her current position Anna is using social media to broaden ECPA's online reach. Her main focus is to assist the implementation of communications strategies for the dynamic political environment of the crop protection industry.
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 | Aurelie Dhaussy - Regulatory Affairs ManagerAurélie is French and obtained a degree in Political Science from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques of Aix-en-Provence, and a Masters degree in European Studies from the University of Louvain. Her previous work experience as Marketing and European Affairs Officer in European associations activities covered communication and institutional affairs. At ECPA Aurélie is in charge of the coordination and communication of industry views on regulatory affairs and advises members on regulatory requirements applicable to the crop protection industry.
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Claudia Michel - Food & Agricultural Affairs DirectorClaudia is German and holds a degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Bonn. Before joining ECPA in 1999, Claudia has previously worked as Deputy Director General of a Food-sector association and for the European Commission. In her current position Claudia leads ECPA’s policy-making on the Framework Directive for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides and its implementation, as well as on all areas related to sustainable agriculture and food safety & security. Her responsibilities include driving ECPA’s advocacy, communications and stewardship programs on these issues, to promote the safe use of crop protection products within technologically modern farming practices that are able to respond to consumer and environmental needs of today.
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 | Doris Schernhammer - Product Safety & CEE Affairs CoordinatorDoris is Austrian and holds a diploma degree in International Economics and Business Sciences focusing on trade relations and international public management, and a diploma degree in Political Science from the University of Innsbruck. She completed one year of her studies at the University of Siena, Italy. Before starting her studies, Doris also worked one year in Michigan, USA. Prior to ECPA, Doris worked for Knowledge4Innovation, a multi-stakeholder platform, dealing with the relations with EU Institutions and particularly in the organization of the European Innovation Summit in the European Parliament. Doris joined ECPA in 2010 and began her work at ECPA focusing on developing and supporting industry and national crop protection associations in CEE and CIS countries. Since January 2012, Doris additionally works to drive ECPA’s programme on Anti-Counterfeit which includes supporting the expansion of the project across the ECPA Network.
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 | Euros Jones - Regulatory Affairs DirectorEuros has worked for the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) since May 2001, and has held the post of Director, Regulatory Affairs since January 2006. Euros is Welsh and holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. He has worked in Brussels since 1994,having previously worked as Deputy Director of the Brussels office of the UK National Farmers’ Unions, and as Secretary General of the European Council of Young farmers (CEJA). In his current post, Euros’ responsibilities include supporting ECPA’s advocacy on regulatory issues, with a particular focus on the implementation of the review programme under Directive 91/414/EEC, and the implementation of the new Regulation on the Placing of Plant Protection Products on the Market, which replaces Directive 91/414/EEC in 2009.
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 | Gavin Whitmore - Biodiversity & e-Communication ManagerGavin joined ECPA in November 2009. He is English and holds an MSc in European Environmental Policy and Legislation and a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Management (Lancaster University, UK). He previously worked as Senior Project Manager for Eurosite (Netherlands), a European network engaged in the conservation and management of nature and biodiversity. At ECPA Gavin is responsible for the management of online communications and marketing and ECPA ICT infrastructure.
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 | Kalila Hajjar - Food Affairs ManagerKalila joined ECPA in 2007. Kalila is Belgian and holds a Law degree from the Université de Liège and a Masters of Laws, LL.M., specialising in European law, from the Universiteit Maastricht. Before joining ECPA, Kalila worked as an Adviser in the cabinet of the Belgian Federal Minister of Public Health with particular responsibilities in legal affairs and food law and policy, and as a researcher in a Brussels-based think tank. In ECPA, she supports the area of sustainable agriculture and is in charge of all issues pertaining to food law that are related to the crop protection industry.
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 | Laurent Oger - Assistant ManagerLaurent is French and holds a Law degree from the University of Rennes 1, a Master in European law from the University of Rennes 1, as well as a Master in European Agricultural law from Panthéon – Sorbonne, University of Paris. Arriving in Brussels from France, he first worked for the French Agri Cooperatives Association and then joined ECPA in summer 2008. At ECPA, Laurent supports the area related to sustainable agriculture, and is in charge of all issues pertaining to the non-agricultural use of plant protection products (garden and amenity). Laurent is also involved in ECPA’s stewardship programs related to the sustainable use of crop protection products.
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 | Pascaline Ritrovato - Administrative AssistantPascaline is Italian and studied Hotel Management and Tourism in Belgium. She started her career at the Conrad Hilton in Brussels at the reception and reservation department. Since 1995 Pascaline has worked at ECPA where she is responsible for the arrangement and coordination of meetings, travel and events. She is also responsible for general office management and provides support to visiting ECPA Members.
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 | Peter Day - Science & Technical Affairs ManagerPeter is from New Zealand and graduated from University in Wellington, New Zealand studying zoology and analytical chemistry. He started his career at a Crown Research Institute before moving to a Regulatory Agency responsible for environmental quality. Peter has worked for ECPA since moving from New Zealand to Brussels in 2004. His main area of responsibility is human health and environmental risk assessment supporting the registration of plant protection products, where he stresses the importance of good quality science in European policy and decision making.
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 | Rivka Benatar - Management AssistantRivka is South African and studied commerce in Harare, Zimbabwe. She started her career in Texaco, Kinshasa, Congo, heading the import/export department before moving to the banking sector in Cape Town, South Africa, where she worked in the call money market and handled the administration of the Cape Town office of SocGen. Rivka moved to Brussels in 1994 and has since worked for ECPA where, amongst other tasks, she assists in the smooth running of the office and is responsible for the publication of the annual Statistical Review, organisation of ECPA’s annual conference and the co-ordination of ECPA’s company investment projects, as well as providing daily support to the Director General.
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 | Sarah Giles - Senior Manager Corporate OperationsSarah is English and graduated in London and Brussels in Art & Design, with distinctions. She started her career as a Buyer, before working as Liaison Manager for UK retailer Next plc. Sarah then joined the US group VF Corp. (Lee denim) culminating as Product Manager of the key product portfolio for the European market, where she travelled extensively, as well as to Dubai, Morocco and Hong-Kong, developing product lines and managing supplier, national sales heads and key account relations. Since 2002, Sarah has been working for ECPA where she plays a key role in the Association’s general operations management and, bringing together the company and national association network, positioning of ECPA’s strategic drives.
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Stuart Rutherford - Director Environmental AffairsStuart is responsible for managing ECPA policy on crop protection product residues in food and for water policy, including regulatory aspects and project work aimed at training and awareness raising among crop protection product users of practical measures to reduce water contamination. Stuart is English and holds a BSc in Marine Zoology and an MSc in Marine Science. He has worked in Brussels since 1992. Beginning with a work-placement in the Commission’s Environment Directorate-General, he then worked as a consultant for a legal firm offering EU policy-related services to a variety of corporate clients, and was employed as a Manager for European Affairs with a US specialty chemicals manufacturer. Since 2000 Stuart has worked at ECPA, and a key goal throughout this time has been to bring together a knowledge of scientific principles and policy-making in order to promote workable, practical and effective governance of the crop protection business.
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