GERMANY – Beneo, a renowned supplier of functional ingredients, has announced that Olivier Roques has been appointed its new chief executive officer and a member of its executive board of directors.
Roques has held the position since June 1, bringing more than thirty years of experience in the international ingredients industry to the role.
The CEO position at Beneo is newly created, and Roques needs to succeed a previous chief executive. He began his career in the dairy and flavor industries before spending twenty years in leadership roles at Agrana Fruit in the US and Europe.
His roles included sales, food safety and quality, and new product development. Before joining Beneo, Roques served as CEO of Agrana Fruit Europe.
In addition to his CEO role, Roques has succeeded Dominic Speleers as chief sales officer. This makes him responsible for overseeing Beneo’s sales and marketing efforts.
“I’m really looking forward to working with the people and products of Beneo,” said Roques. “The portfolio supports the company’s purpose to contribute to better nutrition and health. We will continue to create strategic partnerships with our customers around the globe and adapt to their market needs.”
Roques emphasized the value customers place on Beneo’s ingredients, which are supported by sound science, expert know-how, and quality along the entire value chain.
“I have found a great group of colleagues eager to accelerate our development in that direction, giving me confidence that Beneo will further strengthen this unique chain of expertise to support our customers’ products,” he added.
In another strategic leadership move, BENEO appointed Mike Eberle as the newest member of its executive board of directors in March 2024.
Eberle is responsible for overseeing the company’s operations, which include production, technology, supply chain management, quality, raw materials, health and safety, environmental protection, and sustainability.
Before joining Beneo, Eberle was chief operations officer at Rotkäppchen, a sparkling wine producer based in Germany.
He brought nearly three decades of experience within the international food and beverage industry, having started his career with positions at Unilever in Germany and the Netherlands.
Commenting on his appointment, Eberle said: “My ambition is to grow Beneo’s operational excellence further and ensure we use our planet’s resources in a sustainable way. Both the experienced team and the production sites around the globe are well set to do so. Passion is a key driver of success, and I am more than confident that we will succeed as a team.”
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