Maiko van der Meer

After studying chemistry and business, Maiko worked for about 15 years for Unilever Speciality Ingredients based in several EU countries. His role as worldwide commercial representative at Quest lead to the step to the food industry. For 7 years he has worked in industrial bakeries in France, Belgium and the Netherlands and for the next 7 years he was a General Manager at Mowi (prior Marine Harvest) in Belgium and Poland. Lastly, Maiko was the CCO at Vion, at which he also was responsible for the conversion of the beef slaughterhouse in Leeuwarden into a Vega factory and the launch of a range of plant-based meat alternatives.

For the last couple of years Maiko was also active as an agrifood consultant in strategy and M&A, both for investors as family owned businesses. In October 2019, together with 2 partners, they started Novish; the first European plant-based seafood company.