Treatt announced the appointment of David Shannon as Group Chief Executive Officer and a Director effective on 3rd June 2024.

David joins Treatt from Croda International Plc where he has held several senior roles, recently as President of Consumer Care and an Executive Committee member. He has extensive experience in selling specialty ingredients in the B2B environment for the Flavour and Fragrance, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical, and Agricultural industries worldwide.

David has a proven track record of sustainably growing businesses in dynamic markets. He has spent 13 years in various roles in the USA, a key market for Treatt, and has recently overseen a new manufacturing project in China. David’s experience includes global business management, setting and delivering strategy, optimising science and innovation to drive revenue growth, identifying new ways to maximise revenue and attracting, retaining, and developing employees. He has a degree in chemistry from Edinburgh University.

Britvic announced the appointment of Rémy Sharps as the Managing Director of Britvic Teissiere International, Britvic’s business unit which includes all operations in mainland Europe and all export markets. Rémy will succeed Hessel de Jong who will be stepping down from the company at the end of February, to focus on other opportunities.

Rémy spent 10 years with the Carlsberg group, working across numerous sales roles before being appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kronenbourg SAS, France’s leading brewer and subsidiary of the Carlsberg Group. With his team, he successfully led the company’s turnaround, accelerated the premium development of the brand portfolio, the widespread success of alcohol- free beers, including the launch of Tourtel Twist, and also initiated a real agroecological transition through the launch of the first responsible barley sector, for the 1664 brand.

Before this he acted as Chief Sales Officer for Carlsberg Group globally working across over 80 markets to transform sales and revenue growth, especially in China and Western Europe. Prior to joining the Carlsberg Group, he spent 19 years with the Colgate Palmolive Group in various sales and marketing roles.

Cargill announced Brian Sikes has been elected President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective Jan. 1, 2023. With this transition, Dave MacLennan will assume the role of Executive Chair of Cargill’s Board of Directors.

Sikes will be the 10th CEO in Cargill’s 157-year history and brings a strong track record of business operational rigor to the role, having grown the company’s global Protein and Salt enterprise into an industry leader. Sikes currently serves as Cargill’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), where he has been instrumental in constructing the company’s long-term strategy. With broad experience across multiple businesses, cycles and geographies, Sikes held leadership roles in the U.S., Canada and Europe, and served as the head of the company’s Talent Center of Expertise. His relentless focus on people and culture, customers, and proven expertise in leading growth and transformation have earned him the trust and respect of Cargill’s customers, employees and the Board.

Sikes will succeed MacLennan, who joined the company in 1991 and served in multiple executive roles, including CFO and COO, before becoming the company’s Chairman and CEO in 2013. During his nine years at the company’s helm, MacLennan helped achieve outstanding financial results while feeding millions of families and building community resilience in more than 125 countries worldwide. His long-term strategic vision and willingness to disrupt are exemplified by his leadership on the largest acquisitions in the company’s history, including Croda (bioindustrials), EWOS (aquaculture), Diamond V (animal nutrition), and Sanderson and Wayne Farms (poultry). In addition, the company built expertise in alternative proteins and has developed technologies and digital solutions to transform farming, supply chains and food delivery during his tenure.

MacLennan is passionate about employee well-being, never compromising worker health and safety for production. He created Cargill’s sustainability office and built a culture that prioritizes and celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion. Under his leadership, the company is on a path to achieve gender parity by 2030 and the representation of women on the Executive Team has increased to 46%. In addition, he has been an industry leader in sustainability, particularly around climate change. He prioritized action, not just making commitments, with programs like RegenConnect™, which has advanced regenerative agriculture practices on 158,000 acres of North American farmland, and BeefUp Sustainability, which has reduced 1.7 million metric tons of CO2.

In his role as Executive Chair of the Board, MacLennan will ensure a smooth leadership transition, serve as a trusted strategic advisor to Sikes, the company and the Board and support Cargill’s long-term strategic plan.

Refresco Group B.V., the global independent beverage solutions provider for Global, National and Emerging (GNE) brands and retailers in Europe and North America, announces it has appointed Martha Zandbergen as Chief People and Legal Officer and Member of the Executive Committee.

CEO Refresco, Hans Roelofs: “People have been and always will be at the heart of our company. Today, we elevate our People agenda to the Executive Committee level, by appointing Martha as our first Chief People and Legal Officer. In addition to her continued focus on the Company’s legal matters, Martha will prioritize our People strategy across our entire footprint, while ensuring full alignment with our other strategic priorities.”

Martha Zandbergen said: “I am thrilled to take on the challenge of further strengthening our strategic People agenda. It really underscores the importance of integrating this into our long-term growth ambitions. Refresco aims to be an attractive employer where people can build a career with purpose, and where they can grow and develop. I look forward to working with the Executive Committee and our local teams, to continue to build on our value-based culture and make sure our people feel engaged and supported.”

Martha Zandbergen is a seasoned executive and has held several international roles over the past 20 years. Martha joined Refresco in 2015 and has been heading the Company’s legal function in her role as General Counsel and Company Secretary. Prior to joining Refresco, Martha was Legal Counsel at Shell for almost nine years. Martha holds a Law degree from Utrecht University, the Netherlands.

European Bioplastics, the association, representing the bioplastics industry in Europe, is pleased to announce the appointment of Maria Neguț as new Head of EU Affairs. She assumed her position on 14 March 2022 and will be based in Brussels.

European Bioplastics (EUBP) and its members are happy to welcome Maria Neguț on board of the EUBP team at this time of crucial importance. With the Green Deal casting its shadow ahead, setting up the path for the European Union’s transition to a real resource-efficient economy, bioplastics are poised to play a significant role.

Prior to joining European Bioplastics, Maria Neguț held several positions at the European Parliament and the European Commission. Most recently, she worked with the European Cocoa Association (ECA) where she served as EU Affairs Director Sustainability for over five years. Besides holding a Master’s degree in Political Sciences and European Affairs from the Université Libre de Bruxelles as well as a post-graduate degree in International Organizations from the European Academy of Diplomacy (EAD), she is also a recognised Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner. Maria was an active member of the EU Commission’s Expert Group/Multi-Stakeholder Platform on Protecting and Restoring the World’s Forests, including the EU Timber Regulation and the FLEGT Regulation. In addition, she was a member of the CEN TC415 – tasked with the development of the first international standard ISO 34101 on sustainable and traceable cocoa. On a regular basis, Maria is contributing to think-thank projects and writing on topics linked to sustainability, energy, and EU policies.