Mark Oostendorp has been appointed as CEO of global market player IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredient.
In his new position, Oostendorp will manage the company's offices in the Netherlands and the U.S. His mission includes giving further shape to the company’s strategic choices and the continuous improvement of added value within the total supply chain. Oostendorp brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the fields of food, agriculture and biotechnology, and previously worked in various senior management roles at Quest International (Unilever), DuPont and Interfood.
With the appointment of Oostendorp, IQI is further substantiating its ambitions and plans to expand the company's strong position in Europe and North America, and to identify new, innovative product segments for the pet food industry.
“The pet food market has immense growth potential and is very dynamic," says Oostendorp. "As IQI, we must respond to market and consumer trends in a timely manner and provide clear added value to our suppliers and customers. IQI is one of the few global market players to do this. The specific ways in which we handle pure ingredients allow us to deliver the highest quality of pet food ingredients.
IQI serves its specialty suppliers by cleaning finished products and organizing global logistics, imports and warehousing, allowing them to develop the kinds of pet food customers seek, says Oostendorp.
"The quality of our ingredients is well-trusted by our customers thanks to our ability to provide information on the full traceability of our ingredients," he says. "By having full control of our supply chain, we are one of the few companies worldwide to guarantee the quality, purity and safety of our products. I am thrilled to be joining this innovative and inspiring organization and am looking forward to the development of new products and processes for our customers to meet the dynamics of new market demands.”
IQI focuses on quality, innovation and product development as the essentials for adding value to all key players in the pet food industry. This allows the company to successfully respond to market demands for functional pet food, product claims such as ‘natural’, ‘free from’ or ‘high protein’, and demands associated with more specific pet parent needs, animal welfare and sustainability.
These are key ingredients in the company’s future ambitions.
“Our global team continuously searches for new, innovative and sustainable specialty ingredients and finds ways to unlock their full potential and value," says Oostendorp. "This enables us to support the pet food industry in developing innovative new products to meet customer expectations. For me, this is our main ‘raison d’être’ and we will continue to work on improving excellence for our customers and suppliers, building long-term partnerships in the pet food industry.”
In the early 1990s, Oostendorp gained his MSc in Industrial Engineering & Management at the University of Twente. He started his career at Quest International, where he held various international leadership positions in the U.S., UK and Sweden.
He went on to work at DuPont, where he managed global sales and business development teams worldwide as a sales director and SBU director. In 2016, he transferred to Interfood where he worked until 2020 as managing director EMEA.
About IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients
IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients, an Egeria Group portfolio company, is a global distributor of premium claim-ingredients to the top brands in the pet food industry.
