After more than 12 years, Kees de Kat is stepping down as FruitMasters' CEO. The Dutch cooperative informed its members and business partners about this on Monday. Before De Kat joined FruitMasters, he was the then Laurus group's purchasing director,
The Supervisory Board unanimously nominated Adriaan Vis to replace De Kat. Vis has been the commercial director at FruitMasters since October 2020 and previously served as COO of A-ware Food Group. A transfer of duties will take place in the coming period. Meanwhile, FruitMasters has begun orientating itself to fill its executive positions.
Left, Adriaan Vis; right, Kees de Kat
“After twelve and a half intensive years at the cooperative, it now stands firmly on its foundation. The time was right for me, after careful consideration, to take the next step with a different focus and work-life balance," explains De Kat. "I want to thank all our wonderful cooperative growers for their trust over the past few years and wish all the staff, especially Adriaan and the Board, the best of luck for the future."
In the statement sent to members, Chairman Jan Verkooijen reflected on the past few years commercial strategy and the planned investments in a new apple packing facility with a high bay warehouse and a new soft fruit packing site.
"We're very grateful to Kees for all his efforts in his role as our cooperative's ultimate responsible director. I got to know him as someone with an eye for detail but also a keen view of the market and its dynamics. We'll miss his drive and energy as the force behind many of our company and sector initiatives. It's been a particularly wonderful period of cooperation in recent years," Verkooijen says.
Yet, he indicates the fruit-growing chain efficiency is under pressure. "We - colleagues and growers - believe this must change. If ever there was a time for our cooperative to act, it's now. The past few years have shown how sensitive our sector is to global changes," states the cooperative, naming its new strategy Healthy Growth 2030.
