From dreaming to achieving your goal

“With my boots on the ground – that’s how I fell in love with farming,” says Esmeralda Garcia with a smile. She has retained her enthusiasm for everything to do with soil and plants and now works as National Sales Manager for KWS Vegetables in Almería.

It all started in El Ejido, a small town in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. Agriculture plays a major role there, so the obvious step for Esmeralda was to study agronomic engineering in the nearby city of Almería. After graduating from university, she worked as a consultant for an agricultural cooperative: “I learned a lot about horticultural management and the agricultural industry at the local level there.” She then gained global experience at a company that produces biostimulants and biopesticides for plants, and she traveled all over the world as Export Technical Manager.

Then came a change of perspective: Esmeralda heard about how KWS was building up its vegetable business, with two new locations in Almería and Murcia. “Starting a project from scratch and succeeding in the seed industry, especially in Almería, where more than 45 seed companies compete with each other – that impressed me and spurred me on.”

Opportunity for further development

She joined KWS as a Technical Sales Representative in 2020. “The position really helped me understand how the industry works. My colleagues also gave me great support, so I was able to gain a lot of experience in a short space of time,” she adds. When the position of National Sales Manager was advertised, Esmeralda did not hesitate and applied: “I wanted to develop further at KWS and make a strategic contribution to our growth in Spain.”

What Esmeralda particularly appreciates about her work is being part of a highly motivated team that is constantly driving the expansion of our vegetable activities. “The family spirit among the people here at KWS also encourages me to tackle new challenges every day,” she says. “In addition, our clear orientation toward independence gives me security. Being part of a company that has been committed to that for over 170 years is incredible.”

Esmeralda’s advice for anyone who wants to get their career off to a flying start? “Don’t stop dreaming – a dream can become a goal and that motivates you to achieve it. Work hard, but also enjoy the journey!” |