Raquel Izquierdo de Santiago Freshfel

The board of Europatat, the European Potato Trade Association, has announced the appointment of Raquel Izquierdo de Santiago as the new secretary general of the association, with effect from1 October.

She will succeed Frédéric Rosseneu, who headed up the association for the past four years.

'It is a great honour for me to be given this opportunity to represent such an important sector in Europe,' said Izquierdo de Santiago. 'I am keen to embark in this new responsibility and continue driving forward the Europatat Secretariat in Brussels, with the support of the members and other partners across the sector.”

Izquierdo de Santiago has extensive experience in European affairs and is currently the food law, nutrition and health director at Freshfel, and the deputy secretary general for WAPA (the World Apple & Pear Association).

'We are delighted to welcome Mrs Izquierdo de Santiago to the sector and to Europatat,' added Europatat president Kees van Arendonk. 'We are confident that she will provide a smooth transition for the work of the association, assuring its coordination and that the priorities of the sector remain high in the association’s agenda.'