Joost van de Rakt joined as Associate Partner Boer & Croon

Joost started at (a predecessor of) FrieslandCampina over 35 years ago after studying business economics, and in that time he has held 15 different positions, from Plant Manager to Director Global Supply Chain and from Managing Director to Director Strategic Partnerships and Transformation. 'The company where I started has totally changed, from a local player to a global, leading company in the food industry. I obviously thrive in an environment where continuous change is the order of the day.' 

Continuously looking for improvements is in Joost's genes. This can be in the area of safety and quality, but also to structurally reduce operational losses, improve the processes around Sales & Operations Planning to increase delivery reliability or give space to sustainability initiatives. In the years that I was responsible for FrieslandCampina's most prominent site, we worked on all the above elements using an integrated approach, which led to a mega reduction in losses and recognition from the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance for the approach taken. In appreciation of the efforts of all employees, we had a booklet made entitled Proudly containing a remarkable collection of stories and photos of colleagues involved.

Sometimes, structural improvements require restructuring or transformation. A good transformation process should link a clear vision and strategy with the critical tasks, the (formal and informal) organisation, and what is expected of the company's people.

'After the merger between FrieslandFoods and Campina, a complex supply chain organisation had emerged with suboptimal planning and made an effective roll-out of standards to implement improvements very difficult. Therefore, it made the organisation much more responsive to global demand while implementing cost reduction programmes to remain competitive in the market.'  

As Director of Strategic Partnerships & Transformation, Joost worked on strategic partnerships to achieve a future-proof organisation. From a clear strategy, seven programmes were launched to shape this transformation. Key themes in these include the protein transition and sustainability.

'A well-known saying is Standing still is going backwards. After all, the future is ahead of us. That's why it's essential to keep innovating and to make clear choices about what you want to invest in as a company. In my experience, a curious nature combined with a broad interest in people and being result- and action-oriented help enormously.