Beyond Meat has appointed former announced the appointment of food industry veteran Jorg Oostdam to the newly created leadership position of general manager of Europe.
In his new position, Oostdam will drive Beyond Meat’s expansion in Europe and accelerate its strategic growth worldwide.
Oostdam has over 20 years experience in the food and retail sector, which includes 15 years at FMCG giant Mars, where he held the positions general manager of Switzerland and general Manager of Spain as well as marketing and sales positions in the Netherlands and Northern Europe.
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He most recently served as chief executive officer for Zed Candy, where he relaunched the brand and expanded the business into 14 new markets globally. Prior to that, Oostdam was vice president and general manager of EMEA for Heartland Food Products Group.
“Europe’s appetite for plant-based meat is on the rise, and there’s no better time to join the Beyond Meat team ,” Oostdam said.
“I’m excited to help set the vision and strategic direction for Beyond Meat’s long-term growth in Europe as we make plant-based meat more accessible to customers and consumers across the region.”
The news comes as Beyond Meat is said to be unsure “what’s going on” after cutting its third-quarter revenue forecast by up to $34 million.
The California-based business, which supplies US retailers along with Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose, said grocers were ordering less and struggling to keep shelves stocked.
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