Casting Light On Our Product Team

EDWIN VAN LEEUWEN

The Product Team at YAGRO play a crucial role in driving innovation and delivering value to our customers. Their primary responsibilities revolve around shaping and refining our platform and services. This entails identifying opportunities through customer needs, collaborating with stakeholders to define product requirements, and creating a roadmap for product development. They are responsible for overseeing the entire product lifecycle, from conceptualisation and design to implementation and delivery.  

The Product Team works closely with our software engineers, our data and commercial teams, and other cross-functional groups to ensure that the final product meets the highest quality standards and aligns with our key objective – to empower farmers with smart solutions. Additionally, they gather feedback from customers, analyse market trends, and stay updated on industry advancements to drive product enhancements and ensure YAGRO remain at the forefront the agricultural industry... 

In short, the Product Team acts as the driving force behind the company's product, innovation and ultimately the satisfaction of our customers. 

If you are interested in speaking with the Product Team, please do reach out to us at product@yagro.com. 

So, who’s in our Product Team?  

Edwin van Leeuwen, Head of Product:

Edwin has been leading YAGRO's product strategy and delivery as Head of Product since May 2019. Not many people know he also built YAGRO’s first Marketplace product back in 2015. With over 15 years of experience in UX design and the delivery of web services, including a decade in data analytics platforms, he's uniquely poised at the intersection of tech and agriculture. Detail-oriented yet always mindful of the bigger picture and how individual parts are connected. 

As YAGRO expands its reach in the food and farming supply chain, Edwin ensures we maintain our commitment to high quality, accuracy and consistency across all products while emphasising on-farm value. Furthermore, Edwin is brainstorming new platform opportunities to set the next stage for YAGRO's continued growth. 

Contact Edwin on +31644141661 (yes, that’s a Dutch number – but his English is fine) or evl@yagro.com

Alex Hann, Enterprise Product Manager:

An Engineer by trade, a Project Manager by experience, Alex’s career has consisted of customer-facing roles within new product development for global key accounts. Delivering high level product portfolios through Industrial and Technology sectors to household name brands. Some you hold in your hand, some that have kept your food safe!   

Alex’s role within YAGRO is to lead non-grower product development, with the aim of synchronising the wants and needs of the supply chain, with a strong value proposition to growers.   

Alex believes the most significant challenge the industry is facing surrounds the ease and security of data sharing, with the lack of fairness and transparency in the process causing the most unease. YAGRO solutions seek to alleviate this and provide all parties with an open and fair playing field. 

Alex states “Our earnt trust must sit at the core of all we do.”  

Contact Alex on 07535465752 or a.hann@yagro.com. 

Kevin Buckland, Product Manager: 

With a wealth of commercial and product background, Kevin is a customer-focused Product Manager. His role includes liaising with our account managers and customers to further develop and improve features that drive on-farm value. 

Kevin’s long term aims for the platform consist of continuing to improve our tools, whilst increasing the flexibility of our platform to meet the differing needs of our customers. The ultimate goal is to continue developing our ability to provide accurate and actionable insights. 

Currently, Kevin is focused on spending time with our customers to ensure we are focusing on areas that really matter and make a difference to them, which is huge motivation for him. We always seek feedback from our users in order to create a truly customer-centric tool.  

We understand that time is a hugely precious resource on farms, however please feel free to contact Kevin on k.buckland@yagro.com or 07983273720 to share your thoughts. 

Billy Tompazis, Product Designer (UI/UX):

Billy is our passionate UI/UX designer with over four years of experience in the field. Billy takes enormous pride in his work and the YAGRO platform, playing a crucial role in shaping our tools for the agricultural community.  

The primary focus of a UI/UX designer is creating a user-centric and visually engaging experience that enables data-driven decisions to be made with ease and speed. By combining his background in technology & computer science, Billy brings a unique perspective to the team.  

Billy states that “design is not purely about aesthetics, but also about enhancing functionality and usability – it's about creating a simplicity and effectiveness that offers true value to our farming customers.” 

Dedicated to his role in creating intuitive digital experiences, Billy works closely with our software engineers, and looks forward to continuing to push the boundaries of what's achievable through cutting-edge technology. 

Contact Billy on vt@yagro.com.

Stuart Dobson, Data Product Manager:

Stuart Dobson is YAGRO's Data Product Manager, with a rich background in agronomic services and a deep understanding of the agricultural industry and its challenges. Stuart plays a pivotal role in enhancing YAGRO's offerings, particularly through our unique Data Ingestion Engine—a game-changer in efficiently processing data from various sources, including popular Farm Management Software. With an eye on scalability and seamless operations, Stuart's expertise ensures that the platform meets the growing demands of our farming community. 

Operating behind the scenes, Stuart is a driving force behind the essential pillars of the YAGRO platform. He oversees all critical actions from data ingestion to the delivery of actionable insights to our customers, ensuring top-quality service and efficient processes.  

In Stuart's words: "My focus is always on improving and streamlining our processes.  Ensuring quality service to our customers and keeping up with increasing demand is at the top of my list as the Data Product Manager." 

Contact Stuart on Sd@yagro.com.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Edwin is YAGRO's Head of Product and has led product strategy and delivery since May 2019. He takes enormous pride in the Product Team he leads and the work they do. Growing up in The Netherlands, where he lives today with his family, Edwin has held a lifelong fascination with technology – and the catalyst for positive change it can be. He is a driving force behind YAGRO’s innovative offerings. Outside of work, Edwin enjoys being active through sport - particularly football and padel. A keen traveller, he's always planning a trip to new corners of the world.