Brabantine City Row
As an international operations leader, I have spent the past three decades managing complex industrial environments across Europe, Latin America and the CIS. My expertise spans food and bioenergy production, biodiesel, crush and refining, and I bring a structured, people-oriented approach to performance improvement, asset reliability and operational transformation. Skilled at building and mentoring high-performing teams, leading site integrations and transitions, and delivering capital investment projects in challenging environments. I combine strategic insight with deep technical understanding, and I work fluently across cultures, languages and disciplines. I am currently open for interim or advisory assignments focused on stabilising operations, guiding organisational change or supporting growth. Let’s connect if you're looking for a hands-on plant leader who delivers clarity, results and long-term value. Looking for interim or transitional leadership in manufacturing, bioenergy or food production? I’m available for assignments starting Q3 2025. Message me here or via [email protected] to start the conversation. Keywords: Operations leadership | Plant management | Interim assignments | Bioenergy & biodiesel | Manufacturing excellence | Maintenance strategy | Change leadership | Team development | CAPEX execution | Multi-site coordination
Senior Operations Director Bioenergy Cargill | 2021 – 2025 • Leading European bioenergy operations, with a strategic focus on waste-based biodiesel and biogas expansion • Managing a team of Subject Matter Experts across maintenance, automation, biodiesel, CI, and smart manufacturing • Developing and implementing new strategies for capital allocation and constraint-based investment planning • Driving performance improvement projects in next-generation biodiesel plants, while optimizing plant uptime, cost, and safety
Senior Operations Director EU Plants Cargill | 2015 – 2021 • Overseeing 15 industrial sites across Europe, including crush plants, vegetable oil refineries, and biodiesel facilities • Coaching and developing site managers and engineering leads in areas of performance management and team development • Facilitating cross-functional programs on continuous improvement, efficiency benchmarking, and best practice sharing • Leading closure and demolition of the Mainz facility, ensuring environmental, financial, and operational compliance
Operations Director – Russia Crush Plant Cargill | 2014 – 2015 • Supporting final construction and startup of a $240M greenfield crush facility in Russia • Recruiting and onboarding an operational team of 150 FTE, including 14 university graduates • Designing and leading a structured development program, combining technical and leadership training across global Cargill sites • Mentoring young engineers and assigning responsibilities based on performance and development potential
Doubled plant capacity through debottlenecking and minor investments
Built and started up a biodiesel plant and veg oil refinery in 16 months, safe, in budget, on time, at capacity
Including expansion project to increase refining capacity by 30%
Hands-on, shiftwork, leading operators, problem solving