Changes at the top of feed firms Skretting and Nutreco
Dutch animal feed manufacturer Nutreco has appointed its chief digital officer, Maarten Bijl, as chief executive of its aquafeed subsidiary Skretting, effective from September 1.
Bijl has spent the last 16 years working for businesses owned by Nutreco’s parent company, SHV Holdings N.V., and will succeed current Skretting CEO Bastiaan van Tilburg, who is being promoted to CEO of Nutreco.
Van Tilburg’s move follows the decision by Nutreco CEO David Blakemore to step down from the position.
Mission accomplished
Blakemore came out of retirement in 2022 to drive Nutreco’s performance through a stronger focus on customer intimacy and value-added solutions, and to set the company up for the next stage of growth, the company said in a press release. Having set these foundations, he has decided that now is the moment for new leadership.
Van Tilburg has been with Nutreco for almost eight years, first as general manager of another feed subsidiary, Trouw Nutrition Benelux, Scandinavia, and France, then as managing director for Europe and Central Asia. In June 2024 he took over as chief operating officer for aquaculture, gaining deep aquaculture knowledge and building key industry connections.
“It’s a fantastic honour to lead Nutreco,” Van Tilburg said. “Our company has a very meaningful role to play in the food system, and I know that we still have a lot of untapped potential to unlock together.”
Excited and honoured
Bijl has spent the last 16 years working across SHV companies in roles encompassing strategy, commercial management, and general management.
Before becoming Nutreco’s chief digital officer last year, he spent three years as managing director of Trouw Nutrition North America.
“Having spent over a decade in regional general manager roles in different continents, and the last 4.5 years at Nutreco, I’ve had opportunity to get to know the Skretting team and business and I’m impressed by what I see,” said Bijl.
“The relevance of aquaculture in the food chain and in our global challenge of feeding the future should not be underestimated. I’m excited and honoured to work with our team around the world to meet the needs of our customers and drive growth in our business through high quality feed, product innovation and digital solutions.”
