Cosun Biobased Experts (CBE) is on a mission to lead the way in biobased circular chemistry, offering innovative plant-based alternatives to fossil-based ingredients. While our primary focus is on the Home & Personal Care markets, our commitment extends across various industrial applications. We are dedicated to launching new products that meet market needs, striking the perfect balance between cost, performance, and sustainability.As a marketing manager and member of the management team (MT), I am at the forefront of our strategy development and implementation. My role involves leading changes and ensuring that our products and innovations make a meaningful impact. By continuously evaluating our innovation portfolio from both external and internal perspectives, I strive to manufacture products that truly matter. We are committed to regularly reviewing and refining our go-to-market models to maximize value for the Cosun cooperative. In this role, I am responsible for:- Managing marketing, application, and customer service teams- Strategy development (where to play and how to win)- Marketing, business intelligence, and branding- Leading change- Building value propositions and implementing value-based pricing

As a business development manager, I actively sold biobased ingredients in the European and North American markets. This role allowed me to further refine my passion for chemistry, sales, connecting people, and building strategic partnerships.With a commercial portfolio of six novel biobased ingredients, I engaged with key accounts in Europe and managed our distributors to help them achieve their targets. Additionally, I focused on identifying trends and, most importantly, solving complex day-to-day problems for our customers. Throughout this period, I worked within the Home & Personal Care market segment. In this role, I was responsible for:- Key account management for global brands- Distribution management in Europe- Translating raw data into marketing materials- Building value propositions based on market needs- Product management for Cationic Inulin (2019-2022)

As a business developer, I was responsible for project management and business development of biobased innovations within our pipeline, managing the different stages of the stage-gate process. I combined my scientific background with my passion for business and commerce, particularly within the Paints & Coatings and broader Industrial markets. In this role, I was responsible for:- Early-stage business development- Conducting extensive business case analyses- Creating and validating market propositions- Managing stage-gate process deliverables

The mid-career program provided a new perspective for me. It made me realize the impact of my daily actions on teams. The course started with self-awareness, the engine of behavior, then moved to building powerful connections with others, and finally focused on creating high-performing teams. Understanding my behavior’s impact helped me drive team performance and organizational success. The program wrapped up with a business challenge, integrating all elements to cascade strategy effectively. This journey developed my self-awareness, team management skills, and leadership in driving change. In conclusion, it was a journey with many aspects that developed me both personally and professionally.

Cosun has launched the “Young Board,” a dynamic group of young professionals who serve as an advisory body to the Cosun executive board. This diverse team of seven individuals from various business groups and disciplines tackles multiple key topics throughout the year, acting as ambassadors in areas such as: 1) strategy cascading, 2) sustainability, 3) winning people, and 4) safety. The Young Board plays a pivotal role in Cosun’s “Unlock 25” strategy, driving the cooperative's evolution by gathering insights from all levels and perspectives to achieve continuous improvement. Below are the invaluable experiences I gained during this journey:- Collaborating across business groups and functions- Engaging in executive board meetings- Managing stakeholder relationships- Communicating effectively- Implementing and cascading strategic initiatives

Nowadays, many agricultural companies are struggling with the question, "Where can I position myself in the emerging biobased economy?" Extra margins can be obtained from agricultural side streams while moving forward in these value chains, but this also involves extra risks (e.g., big investments).During my research, I used the “picnic in the graveyard” market analysis tool to determine Cosun’s ideal position in these emerging chains. Below you can find the experience I developed during these seven months:- Value chain analysis- Applying the picnic in the graveyard analysis tool- Interviewing industry experts using the snowball technique- Early-stage business development- Competencies & partner analysis, and collaboration formats

At Avantium, I led a project focused on developing a new bio-based route and production process. One of the main objectives was to create a sustainable intermediary and alternative to replace a significant monomer (drop-in) in the polymer industry.During my time here, I developed my own project, regularly presented my findings, and conducted extensive market research to identify direct competitors, determine a pricing strategy, and objectively assess our competitive advantage. Below are my key learning points from this internship:- Inorganic catalysis- Techno-economic assessments- Frequently presenting to larger groups- High troughput screening- Hydrogenation and deoxidation reactions

At ZUMO, I was responsible for providing styling advice and managing fashion sales on weekends, primarily on Sundays.

At Van Zoggel Catering & Events, I learned valuable skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. Although it was a part-time job, it was filled with passion. I served as the team lead on Sundays for over eight years, responsible for tasks such as planning, cleaning up after parties and events (e.g., weddings), and ultimately delivering and preparing catering at home.

During my second internship as part of my HBO studies, I worked at Cosun RD&I to gain practical skills. The raw material we used was sugar beet pulp, a byproduct of the sugar production process, which is typically sold in bulk as cattle feed. This application has a relatively low financial contribution, so Cosun was seeking new outlets to diversify its offerings as a food company.The aim of the internship was to develop multiple high-margin chemical building blocks by applying a technology push strategy. Through refining and carbohydrate chemistry, we transformed the pulp into various valuable building blocks, such as D-Galacturonic acid, Galactaric acid, and GalX derivatives. These building blocks have been successfully tested by various market leaders, ultimately finding their place in industrial applications. Skills I developed during this internship include:- Inorganic catalysis- Techno-economic assessments- Design of Experiments (DoE)- Precipitation, crystallization, and recrystallization- Oxidation, esterification, and acetylation reactions

Due to the acquisition of our production site and research group, I spent the last months of my internship working for Aspen while continuing my research project.

During my first internship as part of my HBO studies, I worked at Merck to gain laboratory experience. My project focused on optimizing the production process of Esmeron (Rocuronium bromide), a muscle relaxant drug, to increase its yield, reduce costs, and enhance its competitiveness. Additionally, I was involved in troubleshooting daily factory issues to ensure smooth operations and maximize my learning experience. Below are the major activities and competencies I worked on:- Cost price reduction- Factory troubleshooting- Scaling up chemical processes- Precipitation, crystallization, and recrystallization- Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC)