Geneva, Switzerland - The Dutch chemical maker DSM and Swiss ingredients maker Firmenich jointly announce the future leadership team for DSM-Firmenich, a complementary businesses in nutrition, beauty and well-being.
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The existing executive management teams of DSM and Firmenich will remain unchanged until the completion of the merger, which is expected ultimately in the first half of 2023.
The future Executive Committee of DSM-Firmenich will consist of:
Geraldine Matchett and Dimitri de Vreeze, as previously confirmed, will be Co-CEOs. Currently Co-CEOs of DSM, they will continue to hold additional CFO (Ms. Matchett) and COO (Mr. de Vreeze) responsibilities respectively for the future combined company.
Geraldine Matchett joined DSM as CFO and Managing Board member in 2014.
A Swiss-French-British national, she had been Global Chief Financial Officer and member of the Operations Council of the SGS Group since 2010, during which she was voted Switzerland's CFO of the year for large companies.
Dimitri de Vreeze, a Dutch national, began working at DSM in 1990 and held a series of leadership roles before being named Young Captain of the Year in the Netherlands – a countrywide leadership talent program – in 2006.
He was later appointed to DSM's Managing Board in 2013.
Ms. Matchett and Mr. de Vreeze became Co-CEOs of DSM in 2020.
It has also been previously announced that Emmanuel Butstraen will be Chief Integration Officer, overseeing the merger of these two iconic companies.
Emmanuel Butstraen, a French national, joined Firmenich in 2018 as President of Taste & Beyond to drive the transformation of that division.
He had spent the previous ten years leading businesses at Solvay, including the last nine years on the company's Management Committee.
Prior to this he spent 17 years with BASF.
DSM-Firmenich will bring together a world-class foundation in science and technology with deep expertise across a global network of 15 R&D facilities, which will be led by Sarah Reisinger.
Sarah Reisinger, a US national, holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of California, Berkeley and has extensive experience in biology and related fields, previously serving in leadership roles at Ginkgo Bioworks and Amyris.
Dr. Reisinger joined Firmenich in 2018 to lead the company's biotechnology and process engineering teams before taking on her current position of Chief Research Officer in 2021.
Perfumery & Beauty, incorporating Firmenich's Fragrance and Ingredients divisions and DSM's Personal Care & Aroma business, will be led by Ilaria Resta, who is currently Firmenich's President of Perfumery.
Ilaria Resta, an Italian-Swiss national, is an internationally awarded industry leader who joined Firmenich in 2020 after two decades with Procter & Gamble during which she was responsible for building some of the world's leading home and personal care brands.
Patrick Niels, DSM's Executive Vice President Food & Beverage, will lead the combined Food & Beverage/Taste & Beyond business in establishing a global-scale partner for the industry with extensive capabilities in taste, nutrition and functionality.
Patrick Niels, a Dutch-US national, began his career at Gist-Brocades in 1991, which was acquired by DSM in 1998.
He has since held various leadership roles across the company in different businesses and in various regions including almost nine years in the US where, amongst others, he was responsible for both North and South America.
DSM's Executive Vice President Health, Nutrition & Care, Philip Eykerman, will continue to lead this business' development of customized quality end-to-end solutions that support the health of people at every life stage.
Philip Eykerman, a Belgian national, left McKinsey & Company in 2011 to oversee DSM's corporate strategy and M&A as Executive Vice President Corporate Strategy & Acquisitions.
Since 2020, he has been responsible for all of DSM's activities in human nutrition and health, as well as M&A across the company.
Ivo Lansbergen, who was appointed DSM's Executive Vice President for Animal Health & Nutrition in 2019, will continue to lead this business in developing solutions to alleviate pressure on the planet's finite natural resources while satisfying the increasing demand for protein.
Ivo Lansbergen, a Dutch national, has been with DSM since 1997 during which time he has held various senior positions in different DSM businesses in both Europe and Asia.
Mieke Van de Capelle, currently Firmenich's Chief Human Resources Officer, will lead in creating an engaging culture that continues to put its people first.
Mieke Van de Capelle, a Belgian national, combines twenty years of business acumen and a deep understanding of people and culture strategies within global innovation-driven organizations such as Sara Lee Corporation and Perfetti van Melle.
She joined Firmenich in 2016 and, under her leadership, Firmenich became one of only seven companies in the world to obtain the EDGE global certification for gender equality.
Jane Sinclair, presently Firmenich's General Counsel and Head of Legal and Compliance, will complete the new Executive Committee.
An Australian national, Ms. Sinclair brings more than thirty years' experience of corporate law, regulation and compliance, business ethics, intellectual property and beyond in both emerging and mature markets.
With her commitment to responsible business, the company's leadership in environmental, safety and regulatory stewardship has been recognized globally, including a CDP "Triple A" score for four consecutive years.
Prior to joining Firmenich in 2015, she held various senior roles at companies including Abbott, AbbVie, and The Coca-Cola Company. ■