Royal Agrifirm Group has appointed Stefan Bulthuis as chief financial officer (CFO), effective April 1. Bulthuis will succeed Margret Kleinsman, who has chosen not to opt for a second term.
“What I particularly appreciate is the fact that Agrifirm is a cooperative,” Bulthuis said. “I have more than 18 years of experience of working in this field. Agrifirm is a global player and I am constantly on the lookout for challenges; this is particularly important because, as a company in the agricultural sector, you need to keep evolving. The strength of financial leadership is not only about figures, but also about fostering sustainable growth. Together with the team I am committed to building further on the solid foundations already in place.”
Bulthuis started out as an accountant with Deloitte, after completing his studies in business administration. In 2000, he made the switch to FrieslandCampina. There, he spent 18 years working in the role of finance director for parts of the company including WAMCO Nigeria, consumer products Benelux and the cheese, butter and milk powder business unit, which generates a turnover of EUR3 billion (US$3.23 billion), has 23 factories and employs 3,600 staff. In 2018, Bulthuis took up the post of CFO of Prinsen Berning, a producer of sports nutrition and dietary products and a portfolio company of private equity investor Bencis.
“We are convinced that, with his international experience in our sector and his background at both a cooperative and a private-equity portfolio company, Stefan will make a valuable contribution to the transition we have set in motion, aimed at further future-proofing Royal Agrifirm Group and helping us put a responsible food chain in place together for future generations,” said Arian Kamp, chairman of the supervisory board of Royal Agrifirm Group.
Departure of Margret Kleinsman
Kleinsman joined Royal Agrifirm Group as CFO on January 1, 2020.
“Having roots in the agricultural sector, combined with international professional experience, Margret was the sparring partner we needed as a company,” said Dick Hordijk, CEO of Agrifirm. “I am grateful for the steps we have taken under her leadership and the progress we have made together.”
“The various transition projects were challenging, but I am pleased that we managed to achieve the specific objectives we had set. I would like to express my thanks to the various stakeholders for the freedom I was given and the confidence they showed in me, which made it possible to achieve these results together,” Kleinsman said.