Gabrielle Kalkwijk (56) has informed Ardo's Board of Directors that she is stepping down as CEO of the family-owned company for personal reasons. Gabrielle Kalkwijk has successfully steered the company through turbulent waters for the past 4.5 years. The Board of Directors thanks the CEO for excellent work and strong leadership.
Gabrielle Kalkwijk – of Dutch nationality - became CEO of Ardo, Europe's largest frozen vegetable producer, owned by the Haspeslagh family, in 2019. In recent years, the agri-food sector has faced a lot of challenges: first with the corona crisis, then high inflation and the war in Ukraine, which made raw materials a lot more expensive. And finally, the extreme weather conditions created a lot of extra pressure in terms of availability.
Gabrielle Kalkwijk now passes on the torch. "I am very proud of all the results we have achieved as a team in extreme external conditions and fully realize that we still face many challenges. I have always advocated open and transparent leadership where we make things discussable. Today I must conclude I no longer have the necessary energy to fully assume my role. I would like to thank all employees, management, the board and family for the good collaboration and the great journey in this beautiful company", says Gabrielle Kalkwijk.
Ardo's Board of Directors thanks Kalkwijk for her excellent work over the past years, in very difficult circumstances. "We could not have imagined a better captain in the past years, given the storms we had to face. Gabrielle has achieved not only great business results but also the necessary focus on making the company more sustainable. We thank her very much for her achievements over the past 4.5 years. The management team is ready to enter this new phase, with many challenges still ahead," said Jan Haspeslagh - Chairman Shareholders Committee.
Ardo is now focusing on the search for a new CEO, and a smooth transfer of responsibilities. In the transition period, the management team will report directly to the Chairman of the Board.
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