Univeg Group’s chief executive officer Francis Kint is to step down, it has been announced.
In a statement, the company’s new parent group, Greenyard Foods, said Kint was due to become CEO of Vion Food Group, a leading Dutch meat processing company, on 1 September 2015.
His role will be taken over by Greenyard CEO Marleen Vaesen, with the group suggesting it may look to combine the two roles in future as it seeks to integrate the three recently merged prepared, fresh and subtrates businesses operated by Greenyard, Univeg and Peatinvest respectively.
Kint is also set to depart his new role as chief operating officer of Greenyard Foods, although he will remain as a non-executive director on the group’s board and become a member of its strategic committee.
Greenyard Foods executive chairman Hein Deprez commented: ”We thank Francis for his seven years at Univeg, during which he was the engine of integration after a period of fast growth.”
He added: “We are very pleased that Francis will stay on as non-executive board member of Greenyard Foods, because of his in-depth knowledge of the fruit and vegetable business. We wish Francis every success in the next step in his career.”
Kint joined Univeg in 2009 as managing director of its German division, before becoming CEO of Univeg Group in 2013.
Prior to working for Univeg, he was European president of global consumer goods marketer Fiskars and, before that, spent nine years working for tropical fruit multinational Chiquita in Europe.
Kint commented: “I am most grateful for the wonderful years at UNIVEG in which I had the opportunity to contribute to the creation of a global leader in its field.”
Vaesen added: “We respect this decision made by Francis. I will take over his responsibilities. We will redesign the company’s structure to fully support the recent merger and to enhance the synergies between the fresh, prepared and substrates business segments.
“Together with our board and shareholders, we are confident that we have the right strategy to create profitable growth and build Greenyard Foods into a unique, leading world player in fruit and vegetables.”
