NETHERLANDS – Dutch multinational dairy cooperative FrieslandCampina has named former Heineken executive  Jan Derck van Karnebeek as its new CEO effective June 1, 2023

Van Karnebeek will succeed Hein Schumacher, who is leaving the company to become CEO of London-based multinational consumer goods company Unilever.

Currently, Jan Derck van Karnebeek serves as CEO of GreenV, a portfolio company of HAL Investments that operates as a worldwide operational group of firms in the horticultural sector.

He previously worked with the world’s second-largest brewer Heineken N.V. for essentially his whole working life, holding various commercial, marketing, and general management responsibilities.

 “We are delighted to welcome Jan Derck van Karnebeek as our new CEO. Jan Derck is a business leader with an excellent track record of delivering growth across multiple businesses, in the Netherlands and internationally,” Sybren Attema, chairman of the board of directors at Royal FrieslandCampina N.V. said.

“He is a seasoned consumer goods executive with a strong focus on value creation for the company and its owners, always with a keen eye for the interests of all stakeholders,”

VKarnebeek appreciated the opportunity to lead FrieslandCampina stating that the Dutch dairy cooperative appealed to him because of its ability to combine the rich heritage and no-nonsense, hands-on ownership mentality of a cooperative with a modern consumer goods company.

“ FrieslandCampina’s member farmers were ‘purpose-led’ before the word even existed and have always shown that they will take changing consumer needs and societal expectations at heart whilst taking care of their animals, land and farm,” he said.

“I look forward to working with FrieslandCampina’s employees and member dairy farmers on growing and further future-proofing this great company and cooperative.”

Van Karnebeek joins a robust organization that managed to weather the effects of inflation to record US$15.2 billion in revenues, an impressive 22.4% year-on-year increase.

Despite high operational costs eating into margins, the Shumacher-led group managed a 32.7% rise in operating profit rose to 471 million euros. Net profit for the year was even higher, rising  69.8 % to 292 million euros.

“The Supervisory Board looks forward to working with Jan Derck in shaping the next, successful chapter in FrieslandCampina’s 150-year history,” Attema added.

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