By Managing Director Christophe Dumont
Attending this year’s Euroseeds Congress, I was reminded just how quickly the seed industry is evolving, and how much leadership adaptability matters in moments like this.
Much of the discussion at the trading tables is usually centered on in/out licensing, securing access to breeding/enabling technologies, germplasm and varieties. Equipment for R&D and seed processing as well as seed enhancement technologies are other key topics. Yet beyond those operational exchanges was a clear sense of transition.
Across Europe, we’re seeing waves of M&As, shifts in ownership, and the reshaping of traditional players. Facing climate change, geopolitical risks, regulatory and IP complexity, some companies are consolidating while others are refocusing their efforts on Europe or North America.
For leaders, managing through uncertainty while keeping people focused and engaged is of paramount importance. When restructuring dominates the agenda, it’s easy to neglect leadership continuity, but those transitions are precisely when clarity, communication, and thorough decision-making matter most.
One of my biggest takeaways was how few companies are looking beyond today’s pressures. When I asked about AI, the common theme was: “We know it is important, but we just don’t have time for that right now, we are still in the midst of our digital transformation.” It’s an understandable response but also a risky one. AI is rapidly reshaping breeding, accelerating decision cycles, and changing how organisations capture and apply knowledge. Leaders don’t need to be AI experts, but they do need to ensure someone in their organisation is exploring it, setting a strategy, and identifying where it can add value. Ignoring it could mean falling behind competitors who are already integrating these tools.
The same mindset shift applies to people and culture. It is more than recruitment and talent development; it’s about shaping the organisation’s strategic direction. Many seed companies are family-founded or based on a cooperative structure, and that heritage is a strength—but it can also create rigidity. Leaders today must actively cultivate a culture that balances tradition with innovation, setting the tone for how teams embrace digital transformation, AI, and next-generation breeding approaches. By redefining what experience and expertise look like and fostering collaboration across generations, senior leaders pave the way for sustainable growth and prepare the organisation to respond effectively to an increasingly complex global market.
I could foresee the next development step for successful breeding teams: adding an AI expert to the experienced breeder and the digital breeder. The challenge isn’t only technical, it’s interpersonal. Leading across generations demands emotional intelligence, curiosity, and a willingness to learn from one another. The most successful organisations will be those where experience and innovation coexist and collaborate, not compete.
Despite some caution in the room this year, I left Euroseeds encouraged. The industry remains resilient, even amid headwinds. For leaders, the task ahead is clear: stay engaged, invest in people, and make time to think beyond the immediate. The companies that do this will be the ones ready to lead not just through this cycle, but into the future of agriculture itself.
If you’d like to continue the conversation or explore how your organisation can strengthen its leadership bench for what’s next, we welcome the opportunity to connect.
