Green Boy Group, a global supplier of plant-based non-GMO and organic food Ingredients with a specialization in supplying functional plant-based protein, has hired former Interfood CEO Jeroen van den Heuvel as its new managing director.

"We are delighted to have Jeroen onboard our green ship. Our sails are set in the right direction which results in our ship getting bigger and bigger," said Peter van Dijken, Green Boy co-founder and owner. "These exciting times call for an experienced captain that navigates us through our waves of growth. During his time at Interfood the company grew from USD 600 million to a USD 2 billion company. Interfood and Green Boy are similar companies in their position as ingredient suppliers. However, instead of focusing on traditional dairy ingredients like Interfood, we are shaking up the industry with our innovative, plant-based food ingredients and market approach. Being a younger company, we are eager to learn from Jeroen how to responsibly cultivate our growth in the years ahead of us."

Besides managing daily operations worldwide, Jeroen will oversee hiring and give strategic input to enlarge commercial activities at Green Boy. "I was connected to Green Boy the last two years via the advisory board which allowed me to get to know the company pretty well," said Jeroen, who further noticed that "the energy and creativity that the team at Green Boy brings to the table is amazing. I've never seen a company grow so fast and have such a positive impact on the food industry. It is really exciting to be able to contribute with my experience in a meaningful way to further nourish the expansion of Green Boy."

"You know, Green Boy is so much more than just a plant-based ingredient supplier," explained Frederik Otten, Green Boy co-founder and owner. "[O]ver the last three years we developed plant-based protein that actually functions, which materialized in our Plant-Meat Protein and Plant-Dairy Protein lines. We also setup a popular retail line in the US via Green Boy Products and we built an extensive food lab in Los Angeles. Next, we will be opening a Protein Innovation Center called 'GRIP' in Los Angeles and offices in Chicago and New York. Our role has shifted from being solemnly a supplier to assisting food companies with formulations, collaborating with universities on research and development and helping educate consumers. Our goal is to disrupt the food industry by making plant-based food ingredients more accessible and affordable. This will enable the market to create plant-based food products that taste and feel great and lower our dependence on fish, meat and dairy. There is a campaign forthcoming that will solidify Green Boy's position as the catalyst for the 'Plant-based Food Reformation'. This Plant-based Food Reformation needs a managing 'Reverend' and we couldn't have wished for a better one than Jeroen."

Green Boy was founded in 2016 by Frederik Otten and Peter van Dijken. The supplier has offices in Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Sydney, and is slated to open up new offices in Chicago (2023) and New York (2024). The 'GRIP' Protein Innovation Center is planned to be operational by the end of 2023 at Green Boy's Downtown Los Angeles location. 'GRIP' stands for 'Green Boy Research Into Proteins'.

Source: Green Boy Group