Meet us

Gerard Klein Essink - Managing Director & Owner

Gerard set up Bridge2Food in 2002. He worked internationally in the food industry for over 20 years after graduating in food chemistry from Wageningen University & Research Centre. His experience lies in business-to-consumer markets as well as business-to-business industries. He fulfilled roles as Vice-President Sales and Business Development Manager with a Pan-European FMCG company and General Manager, Global Business Manager, Asia Pacific Marketing Manager as well as Research and Application Manager with an international food ingredient company. He started
his career at Wageningen University with a project on the EU wine policy regarding sugar addition to wine. "I have a passion for bringing people together, bridging cultures and combining views and experiences to innovate in business and research", he explains. He likes sports such as sailing, running, tennis, soccer and cycling, and being soccer coach of his sons. One of his favourite hobbies is glass blowing. Contact Gerard by e-mail or call him at +31 30 225 2060 (office) or +31 6 200 39196 (mobile).

Pieter Krijne - Strategy Director & Partner

Almost 16 years Pieter worked in the Food Industry after graduating with a degree in Business Administration at the Open University. He worked as Managing Director for Food and Pharmacy in the potato starch industry and later became CEO during more than five years. Focus on the right company strategy, be innovative and make a difference in the market: these are key success factors. Now he owns several companies in The Netherlands and a game resort in South-Africa. “Being an entrepreneur is big fun”, he says, “It is exciting to make things happen, to create new concepts and to put them into motion”. At Bridge2Food he works as a partner and advises on Business Strategy. He likes to play golf, runs several times a week and likes to ride his BMW motorbike. Have a look at www.naarzuidafrika.com to get a good impression of the Waterberg Bushveld Game Reserve & Spa. Contact Pieter by e-mail or call him at +31 30 225 2060 (office).

Hans Stoter – Business Director

During his Business Economics studies in the mid 90’s, Hans started working with China. In 1996 he moved to Nanjing to set up and lead an office for a Dutch consultancy. After several years, he was asked by a leading Dutch exhibition organizer to set up their Joint Venture in Shanghai and introduce international exhibitions in China. From there on, Hans moved to the largest international exhibition organizer for which he worked out of Shanghai and Hong Kong on a wide field of industries. After 10 years in China he eventually came back to Holland for this company to head up 2 portfolios of pharmaceutical exhibitions organized in Europe, China, Japan, India and South America. For the past two years, Hans worked for a Dutch networking company where he launched communities so that stakeholders could meet, exchange knowledge and foster business opportunities. I like to be the bridge between cultures and create innovative platforms between people and businesses. Contact Hans by e-mail or call him at +31 30 2252060 (office) or +31 6 24420052 (mobile).

Marjolijn Cohen - Manager Food Networks
After graduating with a degree in History of Art and MassCommunication & PR at Leiden University in 1986, Marjolijn worked with several big international advertising and PR agencies. She developed marketing expertise in fast moving consumer goods, as well as business-to-business markets. Working for multinationals gave her a good insight in how communication networks are set up. She then started her own company in organizing seminars and conferences in 2002. After a couple years she decided that she preferred to work with more people instead of running a one-woman show. That’s when she joined Bridge2Food in September 2007. First as Conference and Courses Manager and now as International Network Manager. “It’s so much fun to connect people and see that people need each other. It’s very fulfilling to feel you’re the spider in the web and can make a difference to make the wider and bigger by creating environments where (business) relationships can grow.” Marjolijn loves her 2 kids, likes to play tennis and field hockey, enjoys preparing a good meal (and eat it) and also sings with a small group. Contact Marjolijn by e-mail or call her at +31 30 225 2060 (office).

Jimi Lovon - Project Manager

Jimi came all the way from Peru to study a MSc in Food Technology at Wageningen University & Research Center. He did his internship on chocolate crystallization at Cargill R&D Center in Belgium, during which he developed a strong passion and fascination for chocolate science & manufacturing. He has a food technology background and a strong sales orientation gained from his former experience as Sales Coordinator in a Peruvian company focused on production and exportation of natural colorants. At Bridge2food Jimi develops and takes projects from a feasibility and starting-up level to a following launching level, and is active in building networks within the food & protein technology industry. He became recently a father of a wonderful girl. He likes to spend time with his new family, play Cuban (and related) music, and practice sports like squash, jogging and football. Contact Jimi by e-mail or call him at +31 30 225 2060 (office).

Lisette de Jong - Editor in2food Magazine

After obtaining her MSc degree in Food and Nutrition and Health at Wageningen University in 1996, Lisette worked as a consultant with a number of PR & communication agencies. In 2006, she set up Lisette de Jong Teksten Verhalen and Schrijftrainingen. As a freelance text writer, editor and journalist, she works for several companies, and media in the area of food and nutrition. She developed several newsletters, brochures and annual reports, and wrote articles on a wide range of topics, including European food regulations, ingredient technology, sustainability and biotechnology. At Bridge2Food she is responsible for the text writing and editing of the in2food e-Magazine. Lisette also gives workshops in creative writing. Contact Lisette by e-mail or call her at +31 30 225 2060 (office).

Karin Vermaat – Multimedia Assistant

After finishing her study at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, Karin worked for several years as a senior designer kids fashion for an international Private Label Company. Being responsible for customized collections in- and outside Europe her interest in networking and communication began. She decided to study Nima Marketing Communication to increase her communication skills. At Bridge2Food she is responsible for multimedia communication and designing company promotion material. It's nice to translate the corporate ideas of Bridge2Food into a corporate identity and to communicate with our partners. In her spare time Karin likes to spend time with her partner and son, she love cooking and going to museums. She fitnesses twice a week and loves walking in the forest. Contact Karin by e-mail or call her at +31 30 225 2060 (office).