Info Days On The 2025 Calls For AGRIP

Acting Deputy Director General, European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG AGRI)

Spanish national with more than three decades of experience in EU affairs, Diego Canga Fano has always been closely involved with AGRI Promotion policy and high-level missions. A Director in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG AGRI) since 2014, after several years working in the European Parliament and experience in national politics, Diego returned to DG AGRI in October 2023 as Director F, in charge of Outreach, research and geographical indications. He is currently holding the position of Acting Deputy Director General.

Head of Department Green Europe, REA B

Paul Webb is Head of Department B at the Research Executive Agency, responsible for the implementation of the Agricultural Promotion Programme, Cluster 6 of the European Union’s Research programme Horizon Europe and the Research Fund for Coal and Steel. Previously, he was Head of Unit responsible for different functions in the Directorate General (DG) for Research and Innovation, the DG for Budget and the DG for Agriculture.

Head of Sector REA B4.002 AGRIP Grants

Dyanne Bennink works as Head of Sector of the Agri-promotion grants sector at the European Research Executive Agency (REA). She has a background in Agricultural engineering and started to work for the European Commission in 1998 where she has worked in several positions in the research and agriculture. She joined the AGRIP programme in the beginning of 2024.

Head of Unit for External communication and Promotion Policy in the Directorate General of Agriculture and Rural development

She deals with the implementation of the policy of promotion of agricultural and food products, including the organisation of the high-level missions for European agricultural and food business.

She worked previously in the Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis in the trade portfolio and in the Cabinet of Commissioner Hogan on agriculture and trade. She has been negotiator in several trade agreements, and dealt with trade relations with Latin America, India and other European countries. She has also been involved in the development of EU quality schemes (organics, protected geographical indications).

She spent four years at the European COPA-COGECA and conducted research on agricultural policies.

Cristina Rueda Catry is an Agronomic Engineer (1992) from the Polytechnic University in Madrid, Spain and received her PhD (2001) at the Paris-X University in Paris, France.

Alessio Bacchielli works as programme manager in the Agri-promotion grants sector at the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Before that and since 2007, he held various positions within IHI (Innovative Health Initiative) JU, REA and the EC directorate general for International Partnerships (INTPA). He has been working mainly in management of EU programmes and projects, mostly in the context of European research, with a focus in agriculture and earlier in the career, in development cooperation.

Alessio Bacchielli is a Mechanical Engineer (2005) from the ‘Roma Tre’ University in Rome, Italy

Michal Slawski is an experienced horticultural sector manager, and has been with Bord Bia since 2006. His career initially focused on production and technical roles, including working for a dehydration factory, giving advice on the growing of a wide range of vegetable crops, as well as a long stint at a seedling nursery. At Bord Bia, his experience has covered a number of sectors, including mushrooms, fruit, and amenity horticulture branding and Innovation, but it’s the mushroom sector which has been the primary focus during his time with the organisation. 

 He has wide experience with EU co-funded promotional campaigns with five since 2009, and domestic strawberry and amenity promotional campaigns. A recent focus has been the Lean horticultural programme, which helps producers increase their productivity and reduce costs. Outside of work he has a keen interest in gardening, and especially of native Irish plants. He has a BSc in Agricultural Economics from the University of Zimbabwe, and a Masters in Venture Management and Project Finance from NUIM.

Team Leader, Promotion policy for agricultural products, European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG AGRI)

With a background in communication and policy, over the past 15 years Nadia Loddo has worked in EU affairs for the Secretariat General of the Council and several European Commission departments. Her experience with the Enterprise Europe Network, helping small and medium-sized enterprises grow internationally, led her to develop a strong interest competitiveness and trade issues. Pursuing her love of food, Nadia joined the Directorate-General for Agriculture in March 2024 to work on high-level missions, fairs and campaigns in third countries. She now leads the team responsible for the promotion policy.

Experienced Marketing, PR, and International Communication Professional 

 Anne Verdoes has over 30 years of experience in marketing, communication, and export management. Her expertise lies in developing and executing strategies that deliver results, with a strong focus on international markets. 

Since 2012, Anne has been an Account Manager at iBulb, where she is responsible for the promotion and PR strategy of global activities in the flower bulb industry. She develops annual plans and budgets, coordinates campaigns, and maintains relationships with journalists and media outlets. A key part of her role is providing up-to-date press information and visual materials to position the flower bulb sector prominently on the international stage. 

Previously, Anne served as General Manager of the International Flowerbulb Center from 2005 to 2012. In this position, she led the marketing and PR organization for the Dutch flower bulb industry. Her responsibilities included creating annual marketing plans, executing campaigns, managing budgets, and overseeing a team of 12 employees. 

Earlier in her career, Anne held various roles in export and product management. As Export Manager at Herôme Cosmetics (2001–2003) and Inspiration Holland BV (1998–2001), she managed agents and developed new markets across Europe. 

Her career began in product management at ELHA Cosmetics (1996–1998) and Revlon Benelux (1990–1996), where she gained valuable experience in budgeting, marketing plans, and product launches. These roles provided a strong foundation for her strategic and results-driven approach. 

Anne combines strong analytical skills with a pragmatic working style. Her knowledge of international markets and experience in the flower bulb and cosmetics industries make her a valuable partner for businesses looking to grow and distinguish themselves in their sector. 

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/anneverdoes/