Nov 4, 2021

Biobest appoints COO Karel Bolckmans as chief technology officer

Biobest announced Nov. 4 that Karel Bolckmans, currently chief operating officer, will soon take up the new position of chief technology officer.

As chief technology officer, Bolckmans will focus on development of new products and services, as well as the promotion of these solutions in the market. The C-board position, chief operations officer, focused entirely on operations and supply chain is now open.

Jean-Marc Vandoorne, Biobest CEO comments: “Biobest has delivered impressive growth for several years in a row. One of the key factors driving this outstanding growth has been a solid focus on improving delivery reliability and quality of our products. As chief operating officer, Karel has made an invaluable contribution to achieve the highest standards of performance. Our organization is now ready to shift up a gear with new technologies that strengthen and support the close relationships we have with our customers. The key functions in our organization must always be closely aligned with our global business strategy. Therefore, we will implement some changes within our C-board.”

“The further development of new products and services, as well as the promotion of these solutions in the market, now deserve a separate focus. Karel Bolckmans will take on this responsibility in his new role as CTO. Karel has been active in the biocontrol industry since 1992 and honorary member of the IOBC for his contribution to the development and uptake of biological control. He and his team will look for sustainable technological solutions to our customers’ cultivation problems. This is entirely in line with Karel’s passion and with the DNA of our organization. Business development, innovation of products and services, developing innovative production systems, developing tools to provide the best possible technical advice to our customers and close contacts with the market, NGO’s & policy makers are the priorities that the CTO will focus on.”

“To consolidate and continue the process of constant operational progress, we are opening the position in our C-board focused entirely on operations and supply chain. Our company has shown its ability to attract top-talent and I’m convinced we’ll be able to appoint a seasoned top-level executive to this position. Together with the already existing C-board positions, the new COO and CTO will enable us to further develop our strategy and ensure our long-term growth. On behalf of the entire C-board, I would like to thank Karel for all his efforts as COO, I congratulate him and wish him every success in his new role as CTO.”

Karel Bolckmans said: “I want to thank the teams that have worked with me in operations and supply chain for their impressive achievements. We’ve been able to combine rapid growth in production volumes with constant improvements in reliability, quality, yield and customer service. This was crucial to deliver on the expectations of our customers. Our industry is currently witnessing an unprecedented acceleration in innovation with many new technologies coming online. Biobest has already shown its determination to be on the cutting edge of these technologies, for example in robotization and data-driven precision agriculture. I am grateful to work with an industry leader in a sector that is absolutely crucial for a global transition to a more sustainable and climate-friendly agriculture. I urge our policy makers to set ambitious sustainability targets. We are ready to deliver the solutions.”

For more information, visit www.biobestgroup.com