Fresh Forward is one of Northern Europe's top fruit breeders, specialising in apples and strawberries.
We cooperate with Wageningen University & Research, as well as Fragaria Holland and TreeQuattro, partnerships of leading plant propagators and tree growers. This gives Fresh Forward access to both fundamental and practical knowledge of trees and plant distribution, which benefits the grower, wholesaler, retailer and consumer. The result is a wide range of high-quality strawberry and apple varieties tailored to specific needs - including strawberry varieties such as Sonata, Rumba and Calinda and apple varieties such as Wellant®, SQ159 Magic Star® and Natyra®.
Fresh Forward also manages licences for other fruit varieties, besides strawberries and apples.
Read more about the Fresh Forward team below.
Team Fresh Forward
Management
![Teunis Sikma](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/468/371.jpg)
Teunis heads the dedicated team of Fresh Forward. This in close cooperation with the shareholders. He has spent a lifetime in the fruit sector and feels at home interfacing with agriculturists and scientists, with retailers and customers.
![Bert Meulenbroek](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/75/bert-1.jpg)
Bert is responsible for developing varieties required by worldwide markets. His breeding team is tasked with conducting fundamental and applied research, independently or in collaboration with academic partners.
Concepts
![Stephan Geerlings](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/84/stephan-1.jpg)
Stephan is responsible for the worldwide marketing of the apple varieties of the Wageningen University (WUR) apple breeding programme.
![Peter-Jan van Ingen](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/1054/pj-2024-zwart-wit.jpeg)
Peter-Jan is coordinator Bloss® and managing and maintaining the concepts world wide for the formerly Wageningen University and Research apple breeding program, as well as the binding link between marketing and tree production.
![Jan Wouter van Eck](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/76/jan-wouter-1.jpg)
Jan Wouter looks after intellectual property rights, licenses and contracts, and is the link between the commercial and administrative departments.
![Ronnie Kersten](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/1013/ronnie-2-zw.jpeg)
Ronnie is our manager for concepts & commercial topics regarding strawberries
![Joanna Pabiniak](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/908/joanna2.jpg)
Joanna is responsible for the drafting and finalizing of all our contracts and license agreements for Apple as well as Strawberry varieties. In addition she takes care of several Intellectual Property Rights tasks for all countries world wide.
![Ingrid van der Bogt](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/694/ingrid-van-der-bogt.jpg)
Ingrid is a regular contact for our licensees. She ensures contracts are validated and archived, and processes the propagation statements provided by licensees. She is also involved in marketing activities
![Carina van der Lippe](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/73/carina-1.jpg)
Carina supports the management. She is responsible for HR tasks and issues. Carina is HR point of contact for employees and management.
![Lucie Bartels](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/695/lucie-bartels.jpg)
Lucie is responsible for handling the financial administration. She is the most regular contact for our debtors and creditors.
Breeding
![Nick Howard](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/860/nick-howard-headshot-2.png)
Nick is the molecular breeder in the apple breeding program. In that role he designs crosses, selection strategies, and research projects.
![Evert Walraven](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/858/evert-2.jpg)
Evert organizes the practical breeding and directs the people for the garden and the nursery, and judges the seedlings and selections. Looking for a new variety. With disease resistances.
![Anke Fischer](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/1055/dsc3448-sw.jpg)
Anke is our in house specialist regarding all research concerning our apple varieties. Besides that task she is also occupied with the development of new varieties and is the link between our breeding, cultivation and concepts department.
![Thijs van Dijk](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/81/thijs-1.jpg)
Thijs is the molecular breeder of the breeding team and focuses on designing and executing pre-breeding programmes.
![Gerwin Peters](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/1056/whatsapp-image-2024-01-30-at-133040-zw-wit.jpeg)
Gerwin is the Head of Cultivation for our Demo Orchard in Huissen and our breeding grounds in Randwijk. He makes sure all of our trees, soil and materials for protection against hail and drought are in perfect shape.
![Rob d'Hont](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/82/rob-dh-1.jpg)
Rob organises and plans the nursery and breeding activities and contributes to fundamental and applied research projects.
![Johan Willemsen](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/690/johan-willemsen.jpg)
Johan is the bioinformatician and supports the breeding team by performing data analysis. In addition he is responsible for the design and analysis of molecular markers.
![Tim Koorevaar](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/869/tim-2.jpg)
Tim is part of the molecular breeding team and focuses on marker development by performing research projects and marker design.
![Marina Goméz-Caro](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/687/marina-gomez.jpg)
Marina organises and plans the nursery and breeding activities and contributes to applied research projects. She supports the marketing team with practical knowledge about the new low-chill material. She is also coordinating the introduction of the new lines in the certification process.
![Ruxin He](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/1011/whatsapp-image-2023-05-16-at-141947-1-zwart-wit.jpeg)
Ruxin is our assistant regarding all strawberry breeding activities. He is also our go to collegue to assist in our foreign affairs.
![Rian Peters](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/990/whatsapp-image-2022-11-01-at-34012-pm.jpeg)
As a phytopathologist, Rian arranges disease testing in strawberry and apple. In addition, Rian can often be found in the lab for molecular research such as marker screening of our seedlings.
![Ruud Venner](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/692/ruud-venner-kopie-2.jpg)
Ruud keeps track of Fresh Forward’s high-chill strawberry selections in internal and external trials. He also focuses on the design of variety specific growth concepts.
![Saskia van Vulpen](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/469/341.jpg)
Saskia assists with breeding activities and growth processes.
![Imke van den Hoven](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/1006/whatsapp-image-2023-05-16-at-141949-zwart-wit.jpeg)
Imke assists the breeders with selecting and reviewing new selections. She also assists in testing advanced selections and assists garden staff with work.
![Kees van Miltenburg](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/77/kees-1.jpg)
Kees is in charge of all growing processes and facilities. Additionally, he and his team support the breeding team.
![Stanley van Kuilenburg](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/861/stanley-3.jpg)
Stanley is responsible for directing staff for all cultivation activities. In doing so, he is the connecting link between management and output.
![Jack de Raadt](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/78/jack-1.jpg)
Jack carries out all activities related to both culture and controlled growth. He also maintains our equipment and facilities.
![Jan van Loenen](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/1008/whatsapp-image-2023-05-16-at-141946-1-zwart-wit.jpeg)
Jan carries out all activities related to both culture and controlled growth. He also is in charge of all of our in house sprayings and crop protection
![Barry de Vries](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/1053/barry-4-zwart-wit.jpeg)
Barry is on of our field employees and responsible for all glass house related activities together with his collegues
![Janneke Goets](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/857/janneke-2.jpg)
Janneke supports the apple breeding program with breeding work and orchard maintenance.
![Bob Sanders](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/862/bob-sanders-2.jpg)
Bob is mainly involved in a number of nursery processes. Additionally, he helps to maintain our equipment and facilities.
Fresh Forward Spain
![Antonino Vázquez](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/1032/foto-antonino-zw-wit.jpeg)
Antonino lives in Spain (Andalusia) and is the manager of Fresh Forward España. He also is the technical advisor for Fresh Forward's low chill varieties.
![Gema Díaz Garrido](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/1030/foto-gema-zw-wit.jpg)
Gema assists with breeding activities and growth processes at our location in Spain
![Carmen Lopez Sanchez](https://www.fresh-forward.nl/thumbnail/team/1034/foto-carmen.jpg)
Carmen is our breeding assistant in Spain for the Spanish varieties. Together with the Dutch team she assist in all of our breeding activities in our Spanish location in Huelva