Van Zanten Breeding appoints Joost Kos as its new breeding and development director

RIJSENHOUT, Netherlands: Dutch based Van Zanten Breeding BV is delighted to announce that Joost Kos has been appointed as breeding and development director of the company, with effect from July 2021.

Kos is no stranger to the company and has worked for Royal Van Zanten for more than 13 years. The appointment of Joost Kos is an important step for Royal Van Zanten to drive further international growth in the ornamental plants breeding sector.

Royal Van Zanten’s Managing Director, Maarten Goos is pleased with the appointment of Joost Kos who will be a shareholder and member of the MT. He says, “Joost brings in-depth knowledge and extensive experience with relevant developments in the horticulture sector. Together with the team, we will energetically roll out our strategy and strengthen our unique proposition to the market.”

Kos has extensive international experience in the field of breeding and R&D. He studied Plant Breeding at Wageningen University and then worked as Head of Breeding & Research and Deputy Director at Van Zanten Plants, among other positions. Kos then pursued his career at Syngenta where he worked for 15 years. For the last 9 years Kos was Head of Flowers R&D. In this position, he was responsible for R&D and for development, implementation and execution of the strategy of this business unit.

Kos is a people manager. He is looking forward to developing the big potential that he sees in Royal Van Zanten together with his team.

Royal Van Zanten is an important player in the international ornamentals market. In recent years, much has been invested in developing people and upgrading technology and facilities. This makes the company ready for the future. Goos  : ‘Our people work with so much passion and pleasure that we want to pass this on to the market. In the coming years, we will continue to improve our organization and we will grow internationally. As Director of Breeding & Development, Joost Kos has a crucial role in this.

Van Zanten Breeding, part of van Royal Van Zanten, has been active in international horticulture for almost 160 years. The company breeds cut flowers and pot plants and has a strong position in the cut products Alstroemeria, Statice, Chrysanthemum and Bouvardia and also in the pot plant products Aster, Celosia, Chrysanthemum and Multiflora. This position will be further expanded in the coming years by continuously improving the genetics, by creating synergy in breeding and propagation technology, by active marketing, and intensive cooperation with partners in the chain.