Growing by Exploring: My journey at Enza Zaden from Research to Project- & Portfolio management

21 May 2026 - Utrecht

Careers don’t have to follow a straight line—and mine definitely didn’t. In my presentation, I’ll share my own career journey and show how horizontal growth can open doors you didn’t even know existed. Exploring different roles, learning new skills on the job, and moving across teams helped me grow and find my passion. I’ll also talk about the Enza Zaden company culture that makes this possible—one that encourages curiosity and supports internal moves. I hope you’ll leave seeing that sometimes, the best growth comes from a step sideways, not just up.

About Enza Zaden
Over 480 million people are eating our vegetables every day, something we are very proud of! Enza Zaden is a global leader in vegetable breeding, committed to developing high-quality, sustainable seeds. Founded in 1938 by Jacob Mazereeuw, the company has grown to become one of the top ten vegetable breeding companies in the world. Enza Zaden focuses on breeding for taste, appearance, yield, labor friendliness, and disease resistance, using advanced technologies. With over 3,000 employees and subsidiaries in more than 30 countries, Enza Zaden is dedicated to innovation and sustainability in agriculture.

Janita Romers | Project and Implementation Manager | Enza Zaden

I’ve shaped my career at Enza Zaden from day one. Starting as a Bachelor student in Analytical Chemistry, I stayed after graduation and spent 7.5 years in the lab, analysing taste and resistance compounds in plants. Over time, I realized my real drive wasn’t just executing research, it was structuring complexity and making work easier and more effective for others. I took the internal opportunity to step into professionalizing Project Management in Enza Zaden R&D, building my expertise largely through learning by doing, supported by targeted courses. Today, I’m in the driver’s seat, designing and implementing how R&D executes Project & Portfolio Management.

FULL PROGRAMME HERE