The Randstad, Netherlands
Cutting sodium, but the flavor collapses with it? Pulling MSG, and now customers say the product tastes flat? Clean label on the front, an E-number list on the back? Regulators circling sugar while your reformulation roadmap isn't ready? Most reformulation projects stall right here. Not because the target is wrong, but because the team tries to solve a base problem with a flavor budget. Let's fix that. Message me here or request a sample at gourmet-ingredients.nl/solutions. WHO I AM I'm Ronald de Wild, CCO at Gourmet Ingredients BV, based in the Netherlands. We've built one of Europe's most commercially aggressive specialty ingredient businesses: 200% year-over-year growth across four consecutive years, and a customer base that doesn't switch, because we've made ourselves hard to replace. For 15+ years I've worked in the gap between science and the business case. The lab knows what onion juice concentrate does to a Maillard reaction. The boardroom knows what a cleaner label does to shelf velocity. The best decisions happen when one person in the room understands both. That's the seat I sit in. WHY WORK WITH ME Most ingredient suppliers lead with product. We lead with the problem you're actually trying to solve. Sodium reduction without the cardboard aftertaste. MSG replacement that holds umami. Caramel color out, natural golden-brown in, through Maillard chemistry instead of E150c. Clean label that survives a buyer's scrutiny and a regulator's. I read reformulation through a regulatory lens, not just a health one. Sodium frameworks already tightened. Sugar frameworks are next. The smartest brands reformulate before the deadline and win the shelf. The ones that wait pay for it twice. WHAT I OFFER 🧅 Onion Juice Concentrate (liquid and powder): natural flavor depth for sodium reduction, MSG replacement, and clean-label savory builds 🟤 Plant Colour Golden Brown: caramel color replacement via real Maillard browning, no E150c 🧪 Reformulation consultation: matching the right base to your sodium, label, or Nutri-Score target 📦 Application samples: sent to your doorstep, in the format your process runs THE RESULT You stop trading flavor for compliance. You ship a cleaner label without a flavor compromise, ahead of the regulation instead of behind it, with a supplier who knows the chemistry and the commercial case in the same breath. The fundamentals of reformulation aren't mysterious. Most teams just solve them in the wrong order. LET'S TALK 📧 [email protected] 🌐 gourmet-ingredients.nl/solutions
Gourmet Ingredients turns what used to be agricultural waste into high-performance ingredients for food manufacturers. Our onion-based biotech solutions help companies reduce sodium, cut sugar, and clean up their labels while keeping the taste consumers expect. What I do here: I came in to professionalize the commercial side of the business. That meant building a real go-to-market strategy, repositioning how we show up in the market, and creating a sales and marketing engine that actually generates leads instead of waiting for them. Some of what that's looked like: - Growing revenue 200% year-over-year for four consecutive years, with no signs of slowing down - Built and launched a new product portfolio focused on where the market is heading: sodium reduction, sugar reduction, clean label, natural alternatives to caramel food coloring, and MSG replacement - Developed a full inbound marketing system that generates a predictable flow of qualified leads - Implemented CRM to move us from scattered spreadsheets to a real pipeline with visibility and accountability - Set up distribution partnerships across North America, Central America, Asia, and Africa - Built and lead the sales, marketing, and logistics teams We're still early. The food industry is just waking up to what onion-based ingredients and biotech solutions can do. That's what makes this fun.
At ofi I steered the dynamic Spices sales and operations team spanning the Netherlands, Egypt, and Turkey, consisting of 15 FTE. With accountability for EMEA sales totaling approximately USD 130-150 million, I orchestrated strategic growth and fortified the organization's EMEA footprint.
In this role, I led a proficient sales and operations team of 10 FTE. Charged with driving regional sales of around USD 100-110 million, I championed strategies that elevated revenue streams and solidified market presence.
Successfully managed multiple European key accounts, contributing to an appr. turnover of $25 million. I spearheaded the successful market entry of herbs trade from Egypt. Additionally, I led robust business development endeavors across Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Russia, further expanding our regional reach.
► Developed sales base for vegetable oils in Europe and Asia ► P&L responsibility ► Obtained extensive knowledge about vegetable oils market in the EU ► Additional global role as Group Pricing Officer - managing group sales price and margin structure
► Developed sales base for organic palm oil in Europe ► Established animal feed as new market segment for organic palm oil ► Attracted funding for the acquisition of a palm oil mill
► Established a network of vegetable oil storage, logistics and refining in South America, USA and Europe ► Developed and implemented origination model for vegetable oils in Europe ► Evaluated and guided the acquisition of a palm oil mill in Ecuador ► Implemented product traceability program across NHG companies ► Obtained organic and food safety certifications
► Mastered Business Modeling in Excel training program ► Developed market simulation model (MS Excel) ► Modelled price elasticity and promotional effects of consumer products