Francis Kint named as new Greenyard CEO

Greenyard has announced that its board of directors has appointed Francis Kint as chief executive officer (CEO).

Kint is the current managing director of Greenyard’s frozen division, and will succeed co-CEOs Hein Deprez and Marc Zwaaneveld from 1 January 2024.

The group said that Zwaaneveld would remain available in an advisory role to facilitate a smooth transition and handover.

Deprez will focus on his role as executive director of the board and in this role, and as founder, will continue to ”oversee, build and drive the vision and strategic direction of Greenyard”.

The daily management and operational leadership of the organisation will come under the responsibility and direction of the new CEO on 1 January 2024, when Kint joins and leads the group executive management alongside chief financial officer Nicolas De Clercq.

“Based on the recommendations of Greenyard’s nomination and remuneration committee, under the chair of Aalt Dijkhuizen, the board of directors decided that Francis Kint is the best candidate for the position of Group CEO,” said Koen Hoffman, chairman of the board of directors.

“He held leadership positions in both the fresh and long fresh segments, built expertise across the group, holds deep understanding of the fruit and vegetable industry, and gained valuable knowledge in both the foodservice and retail channels during his career.

”Kint is the right man at the right place to accelerate the implementation of the strategic direction and to realise the full potential of Greenyard,” Hoffman outlined. “We look forward to a fruitful collaboration.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I also want to wholeheartedly thank our co-CEOs Hein Deprez and Marc Zwaaneveld for their leadership and guidance over the past years,” he continued.

“This led to strong performances year on year. Driven by the vision and strategic outline that define Greenyard for 40 years, complimented with a solid structure and organisation, Greenyard is ideally positioned for further growth.”

Kint said he was ”proud and excited” to continue his journey in the Greenyard family.

“This is a fantastic moment to take on the role of CEO, based on a smooth transition and supported by our board of directors, our founder Hein Deprez, and very strong teams across the world,” he said.

”The company has great ambitions for further growth and our pure-plant products respond to the needs of today’s consumers,” Kint noted. “We are in an excellent position to be a leading global actor in the consumer trend towards a healthier lifestyle and more sustainable food chains.

“The momentum for pure-plant food solutions is there, and we are ready to grasp it fully.”