Both men will begin their new roles immediately and also become members of the Executive Committee, and company CEO Gilles Andrier believes both will help push the company forward.
“In line with our 2020 strategy, having innovation and procurement represented within our Executive Committee reflects our strong commitment to offer superior and sustainable solutions by providing our customers with breakthrough innovations and the best palette of ingredients, sourced in a responsible way,” he explains.
New appointments
Thoen takes up his role having been with Givaudan since 2011 as head of Science and Technology for just the Flavours business. Prior to that he held various R&D roles at Procter & Gamble in Europe and the US, and has also been named as inventor on a significant number of patents.
In his new role he is expected to set the company’s long-term innovation strategy, leverage internal and external capabilities across both business segments, and also expand the network of strategic partners and establish a culture of open innovation.
Mutsaerts takes up his new role having been with the company for over 25 years, joining in 1989 in a commercial role, initially in the Benelux region and later in APAC.
In 2001, the Dutch national took commercial responsibility for Fragrance consumer products in EMEA, before becoming head of Global Operations Fragrance in 2007.
In his new role, Givaudan says he will develop innovative sourcing strategies leveraging novel sources such as biotransformation, as well as enhancing the company’s responsible sourcing programme further.
He will also be in charge of securing the long-term supply of critical raw materials and fostering partnerships with suppliers.
2020 strategy
The announcement is another example of how Givaudan’s 2020 strategy, set out earlier this year, is shaping the business going forward.
Earlier in the month the Swiss firm announced it was inaugurating new active cosmetic ingredients industrial line for Soliance products in Pomacle, France, as it looks to enhance and expand its position in the ingredients market once more.
The announcement was yet another step in Givaudan’s ambition to build its science-based active cosmetics ingredients business, having stated in its 2020 plan that it wants to expand beyond flavours and fragrances; and adding to the acquisition of Induchem in September.