Hans has served IRRI with unwavering commitment and support by providing his world-class talent and four decades of global seed industry experience in steering the Rice Breeding Innovation department since January 2019. He has successfully grown both its staff and the success of its pipelines, platforms, and network of partners, as well as enhancing IRRI's ability to produce innovations at enhanced speed, not to mention the significant growth in the funding it has raised.
A mentor at the professional level, Hans along with his wife Swati, also provided a haven of care and concern within the IRRI community. His huge contributions to IRRI both in the context of its research, principles, and values has brought so much inspiration to all the many young people he has invested his time and energy in.
