Mr. Erron Leafloor, Manager, Advanced Engineering, Buhler Versatile

Bio: Erron Leafloor obtained a degree in Biosystems Engineering and has worked in several roles in the agricultural machinery sector including Product Validation Engineer with CNH Industrial, Design Engineer for seeding and tillage tools with CNH Industrial, Product Manager for production innovation with AGI, Product Manager for tillage with Buhler Versatile, Product Manager for telematics with Buhler Versatile, and his current role of Manager of Advanced Engineering with Buhler Versatile.

Mr. Perry Klassen, MacDon Industries 

Bio: Perry Klassen serves as the Product Manager at MacDon Industries, where he oversees the goals and expectations of the electronic and software features for the company's products. Hailing from a family farm in southern Manitoba, Perry holds a degree in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Manitoba. Leveraging his deep-rooted passion for agriculture and engineering, he actively contributes to shaping product strategies and crafting innovative solutions to address the evolving needs of customers.

Mr. Darcy Cook, PTx Trimble 

Bio:  Darcy Cook is the General Manager at PTx Trimble (formerly JCA Technologies), where he leads the team of about 200 people in the development and deployment of autonomous agricultural machine control systems. JCA was purchased by AGCO Corporation in May of 2022, enabling the expansion of JCA’s OEM business towards retrofit autonomous solutions that can deliver value directly to farmers. Most recently a joint venture between AGCO and Trimble was announced where JCA will join with Trimble Ag group to further accelerate the deployment of agricultural autonomous systems. Darcy has more than 20 years experience in the development of electronics and software systems across various industries, including space systems (satellites), medical equipment (MRI), and off-highway mobile machines. Darcy holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Manitoba, and an MBA from the Asper School of Business.

Dr. Afua Mante, Department of Soil Science, University of Manitoba

Bio: Dr. Afua Mante is an Assistant Professor of Soil Physical Processes in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Manitoba. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering and a Master’s degree in Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. In 2011, Afua moved to Canada as a graduate student at the University of Manitoba where she attained a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Fluid Mechanics and a PhD in Biosystems Engineering with a focus on Soil and Water Management. She further developed her experience through her Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Centre for Engineering Education and Engineering Professional Practice at the Price Faculty of Engineering, University of Manitoba with focus on Engineering Education, Indigenization, and sustainable resource development, and with the Land Remediation Group in the Department of Soil Science, University of Manitoba with focus on soil health restoration of prime agricultural lands disturbed by oil and gas development in northeastern British Columbia. Her multi-disciplinary background and experiences inform her research program, which emphasizes interdisciplinary and integrated approaches to developing and managing the soil resource for a healthy society.