FrieslandCampina names van Karnebeek as CEO
Image: Jan Derck van Karnebeek
Royal FrieslandCampina has appointed Jan Derck van Karnebeek as its new chief executive officer. Van Karnebeek will join FrieslandCampina as from 1 June 2023 and replace Hein Schumacher, who will join Unilever as CEO and leave FrieslandCampina as of 1 May 2023.
Van Karnebeek is currently CEO of GreenV, the international operating group of companies active in the horticultural sector, which is a portfolio company of HAL Investments. He spent almost his entire career at Heineken in commercial, marketing and general management positions. His professional journey at Heineken included jobs in the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Austria and culminated in the position of chief commercial officer and member of the executive team at the brewer’s international head office in Amsterdam from 2015 until 2021.
Van Karnebeek says, “I am honored to become FrieslandCampina’s new CEO. What really draws me to FrieslandCampina is that it is a modern consumer goods company – with driven employees, nutritious products and ingredients and strong consumer and B2B brands marketed in over 100 countries – combined with the rich heritage and no-nonsense, hands-on ownership mentality of the cooperative. 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 as good custodians for the next generation. I really look forward to working with FrieslandCampina’s employees and member dairy farmers on growing and further future-proofing this great company and cooperative.”