NETHERLANDS – ForFarmers’ board of directors has approved the appointment of Marloes Roetgerink as chief financial officer (CFO) and a member of the executive board for a four-year term, effective June 1.
Roetgerink was nominated for the position earlier this year in March. Her term will expire in 2028, at which point she will be eligible for reappointment for another four years.
Roetgerink, 44, has an academic background in industrial engineering and management. She graduated from the University of Twente and qualified as a registered controller at the Free University of Amsterdam.
She has held senior financial positions for the past ten years at Royal FrieslandCampina and previously at Heineken N.V. The CFO position had been vacant since Roeland Tjebbes’ departure in December of the previous year and was temporarily filled by Hans Kerkhoven.
According to the company, Roetgerink’s extensive experience in senior financial roles at Royal FrieslandCampina and Heineken will bring a wealth of expertise to her new role.
Statistics from ForFarmers’ latest annual report reveal that in 2023, 22% of its employees were female, while 78% were male.
Additionally, women accounted for 21% of newly hired employees last year, with 26% of all internal promotions going to female employees, marking a significant rise from previous years.
ForFarmers has set ambitious diversity targets, aiming for at least 30% representation of both genders on its executive board and executive team by 2030. The company also aims to promote diversity in age and nationality within its management positions.
“I am honored and very excited to join ForFarmers as CFO,” Roetgerink said when her nomination was announced in March. “ForFarmers’ commitment to a future-proof, affordable, and sustainable food chain aligns seamlessly with my personal values and ambitions. I look forward to contributing to that mission with my future colleagues.”
In other significant company developments, Steven Read, who has worked with ForFarmers UK for 38 years, is set to retire at the end of 2024.
Until then, he will oversee the divestment of two UK sites and fulfill interim duties at the group’s headquarters.
Reflecting on his tenure, Read expressed satisfaction at witnessing ForFarmers UK’s growth and highlighted the promising prospects of expanding the CirQlar business, which focuses on environmentally sustainable livestock feed solutions.
Dr. Mark Cole is set to succeed Read as the managing director of ForFarmers UK’s compound feed, blends, forage, and straights business, bringing over three decades of industry experience.
Furthermore, Peter Lyon has been named the managing director of CirQlar UK, the company’s co-products business.
Over the past year, ForFarmers has implemented measures to structurally reduce its cost base, including the reduction of approximately 200 full-time employees. Organizational changes and the divestment of certain activities have been cited as reasons behind these reductions.
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