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Margaret Bath to take over as CEO of EIT Food

Margaret Bath CEO EIT Food

From February 2018, Ms Bath will take over from Dr Ellen de Brabander, interim CEO, who has been leading EIT Food since its inception in 2016.

Ms Bath is a top executive who will join EIT Food from The Kellogg Company, where she spent the last 13 years of her professional career as Senior Vice President Corporate Research, Quality, Nutrition and Technology. She has over 30 years’ experience in leading positions in innovation and R&D in the food industry, working for Dreyer’s, Frito Lay and Kellogg’s. She received her degree in Experimental Foods from the University of Maryland, USA, and an Honorary Doctorate from the Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium.

Dr de Brabander said: 'I am very confident that Margaret will be able to lead EIT Food to the next level, building upon the strong foundation set up by the interim leadership team of EIT Food. I look forward to following the continued success of the organization in the future. In the coming months I will work with Margaret to make the handover process as smooth as possible'.

Ms Bath said: 'I am excited and honoured to join this unique European partnership and have been impressed by the progress made and foundations built in the first phase of EIT Food. We live in a world that is experiencing unpreceded disruptive changes across our food chain, from farm to fork. EIT Food has the potential to serve as a strong catalyst for positive change by accelerating technology discovery and innovation that meets the needs of the consumers we serve. Co-creation and Co-commercialisation among a variety of different partners with complementary skills - while always keeping the consumer top of mind - will be key to drive the transformation across the entire food system. I greatly look forward to serving the employees of EIT Food as well as our partners'.

Professor Peter Van Bladeren, chair of EIT Food's Supervisory board, said: 'The Supervisory Board is extremely pleased to welcome Margaret, a person with such an extensive and valuable experience in food innovation, to the EIT food management team. Together, the new management team has the background and credentials to successfully lead EIT Food through the next stage of its development with the ultimate goal of fundamentally changing the food ecosystem in Europe'.

Ms Bath will be based at EIT Food headquarters in Leuven, Belgium.