Jose Velazquez Email and Phone Number

• Restructured NORLA PR leadership and operations at all testing regions, clarifying expectations and accountability, boost performance, engagement, and diversity.• Raised productivity, increasing ~200% the number of data points, assuring statistical power for decision making.• $1.5 M€ Capital year over year investment, conditioning all testing regions with the best technologies for the best quality of delivered data.• 3 years of successful hybrid advancements in terms of production due to a strong collaboration with Breeding, MD and Product management teams, positioning genetic gain as a top priority.• Explored and defined Colombia as a real opportunity for seed production.• ~$1.5 M€ year over year savings contribution with PR applied projects.

• Lead continuous improvement efforts (short, mid and long term) that optimize Field & Plant Operations. • Focus on key processes and systems that will drive further opportunities for cost savings, production reliability, enhance product quality, and increase efficiency of our people. • Manage changes and coordinate manufacturing knowledge transfer, defining and building tools/processes that provide value-add to business activities.• Drive both improvement and standardization for Field & Plant processes, ensuring alignment Globally and within the Hub for the main Optimization Initiatives and Advanced Manufacturing strategy across México.

• Built Advanced Manufacturing team and strategy, job descriptions and roles scope as well as a robust change management process.• Led the implementation of Production Systems (onePSS) at 3 Commercial Plants, 1 Pre-Commercial plant, Machinery shop and Quality Central Lab, impacting ~1500 employees.• Led the implementation of Digital Farm (Advanced Seed Production) at 11 production regions impacting ~250 employees.• Led the implementation of data analytics for end-to-end production processes.• Met or exceeded savings target, delivering $10M year over year by implementing the transformational initiatives and fostering the Continuous Improvement program.

• Design and lead the Continuous Improvement program in the LAN supply chain organization, lead the execution of Black Belt, Green Belt and Lean manufacturing trainings, promote the development of continuous improvement projects for the organization, its implementation and follow-up based on KPI’s.• Lead the implementation of the Monsanto Production System across the 3 production sites in LAN.

• Implemented new concept of pilot plant, designing, and forecasting for expansion capital projects.• Consolidate and align with LATAM seed safety, seed losses and drying protocols. • Developed new seed sizes configuration to attend Central America customer demands. • International short assignment, onePSS Implementation Lead, USA.

• Controlled full production process packaging hybrid corn seeds. • SSHE Standards compliance for all operational staff (400 Employees)• International short assignment to South Africa (Lichtemburg) impacting on significant ear corn drying time reduction and supporting whole plant operations.