Johannes Bornman wasn’t actively looking for a new job when he was approached by Leopard Recruitment about an opportunity at AQ Roses in Ethiopia.
After ten years with Starke Ayres in South Africa, Johannes had built a strong technical background in horticulture, particularly in vegetable seed breeding, crop research and trials. Moving into floriculture wasn’t something he had planned for the immediate future, but it was an ambition he had carried with him for years.
“My love of plants started in my grandparents’ garden when I was growing up,” Johannes explains.
When he was approached about the Cultivation Manager position at AQ Roses, the opportunity immediately caught his attention. It brought together his technical experience, his interest in flowers and the possibility of taking the next step in his career.
Why AQ Roses was looking for expertise beyond the flower industry
AQ Roses operates two large-scale flower farms in Ethiopia, growing roses and alstroemeria for international markets.
The company was looking for a Cultivation Manager with a strong technical background. Someone who could focus on plant health, crop performance, research and data-driven cultivation, rather than day-to-day operational management. An important part of the position is developing more preventive approaches to crop protection, strengthening plant resilience and reducing reliance on conventional crop protection methods.
This reflects a wider development in the East African flower industry. As European buyers increasingly expect growers to improve their environmental performance, the technical skills required on flower farms are changing. Integrated Pest Management (IPM), biological crop protection, research and data analysis are becoming increasingly important.
For AQ Roses, this meant looking beyond candidates with traditional floriculture experience. Johannes had spent years working with vegetable crops, plant breeding, research trials and crop protection. Although roses were a new crop for him, much of his technical knowledge was directly relevant to the challenges AQ Roses wanted to address.
For Johannes, the opportunity brought together his experience and personal ambitions
After a decade in the seed industry, the position offered Johannes the opportunity to broaden his professional experience. At Starke Ayres, his work had been strongly focused on research and plant breeding. At AQ Roses, he would be able to apply that technical foundation in a broader cultivation management role, working more closely with large-scale commercial flower production. It also meant joining an international team, taking on greater responsibilities and learning a new part of the horticultural industry.
But there was something more personal about the opportunity. Johannes had always been passionate about plants and interested in working with flowers. The position at AQ Roses offered him the chance to turn that ambition into his daily work. He had not been searching for a new position, but sometimes the right opportunity comes along when you least expect it.
Following his initial conversations with Leopard Recruitment, Johannes met Frank Ammerlaan, the owner of AQ Roses, and Jan Bas van Veelen, the Country Manager.
The conversations felt natural from the beginning. Johannes felt comfortable with both and could see himself becoming part of the team. The combination of the position, the people and the company’s approach gave him the confidence that this was the right next step.
A new career in Ethiopia also meant a new chapter for his family
Accepting the position involved much more than changing employers. For Johannes, this would be his first international position. It meant leaving South Africa and starting a new life in Ethiopia together with his young family, including a newborn. An international move brings opportunities, but also plenty of questions. What will daily life be like? How will the family settle into a new country? And what can they realistically expect from living and working in Ethiopia?
These were important considerations alongside the professional opportunity.
Throughout the recruitment process, the personal guidance went beyond the role itself. By having first-hand experience of living and working in East Africa, Mart could help Johannes better understand the company, the region and the practical realities of relocating.
For Johannes, this personal involvement made a difference. As he described his experience: “Mart felt more like a friend helping me through an important transition than simply a recruiter.”
The open communication and personal guidance helped Johannes approach the opportunity with confidence, both professionally and personally. The recruitment process was not only about whether his experience matched the position. It was also about understanding what the move would mean for Johannes and his family.
From a LinkedIn message to his first day at AQ Roses
In October 2026, Johannes started his new position as Cultivation Manager at AQ Roses in Ethiopia.
During a field visit to Ethiopia, Mart visited the AQ Roses farm in Ziway on Johannes’ very first working day. Together with Jan Bas van Veelen, Country Manager of AQ Roses, they had the opportunity to sit down for coffee and take a picture marking the beginning of this new chapter.
It was a fitting moment for a recruitment process that had started with an unexpected LinkedIn message.
Johannes brings technical experience and a fresh perspective from another part of horticulture to AQ Roses, supporting the company’s ambitions to further develop its cultivation practices. The position brings together his professional experience and a long-standing ambition to work with flowers. At the same time, it marks the beginning of a new life abroad with his family.
That’s what makes recruitment personal to us. Not only finding someone with the right experience, but understanding the person behind the CV and the company they are joining.
