Meet us

Gerard Klein Essink - Managing Director & Owner

Gerard set up Bridge2Food in 2002. He worked internationally in the food industry for over 20 years after graduating in food chemistry from Wageningen University & Research Centre. His experience lies in business-to-consumer markets as well as business-to-business industries. He fulfilled roles as Vice-President Sales and Business Development Manager with a Pan-European FMCG company and General Manager, Global Business Manager, Asia Pacific Marketing Manager as well as Research and Application Manager with an international food ingredient company. He started
his career at Wageningen University with a project on the EU wine policy regarding sugar addition to wine. "I have a passion for bringing people together, bridging cultures and combining views and experiences to innovate in business and research", he explains. He likes sports such as sailing, running, tennis, soccer and cycling, and being soccer coach of his sons. One of his favourite hobbies is glass blowing. Contact Gerard by e-mail or call him at +31 30 225 2060 (office) or +31 6 200 39196 (mobile).

Pieter Krijne - Director Strategy & Partner

Almost 16 years Pieter worked in the Food Industry after graduating with a degree in Business Administration at the Open University. He worked as Managing Director for Food and Pharmacy in the potato starch industry and later became CEO during more than five years. Focus on the right company strategy, be innovative and make a difference in the market: these are key success factors. Now he owns several companies in The Netherlands and a game resort in South-Africa. “Being an entrepreneur is big fun”, he says, “It is exciting to make things happen, to create new concepts and to put them into motion”. At Bridge2Food he works as a partner and advises on Business Strategy. He likes to play golf, runs several times a week and likes to ride his BMW motorbike. Have a look at www.naarzuidafrika.com to get a good impression of the Waterberg Bushveld Game Reserve & Spa. Contact Pieter by e-mail or call him at +31 30 225 2060 (office).

Marjolijn Cohen - Manager Food Networks
After graduating with a degree in History of Art and MassCommunication & PR at Leiden University in 1986, Marjolijn worked with several big international advertising and PR agencies. She developed marketing expertise in fast moving consumer goods, as well as business-to-business markets. Working for multinationals gave her a good insight in how communication networks are set up. She then started her own company in organizing seminars and conferences in 2002. After a couple years she decided that she preferred to work with more people instead of running a one-woman show. That’s when she joined Bridge2Food in September 2007. First as Conference and Courses Manager and now as International Network Manager. “It’s so much fun to connect people and see that people need each other. It’s very fulfilling to feel you’re the spider in the web and can make a difference to make the wider and bigger by creating environments where (business) relationships can grow.” Marjolijn loves her 2 kids, likes to play tennis and field hockey, enjoys preparing a good meal (and eat it) and also sings with a small group. Contact Marjolijn by e-mail or call her at +31 30 225 2060 (office).

Lisette de Jong - Editor in2food Magazine

After obtaining her MSc degree in Food and Nutrition and Health at Wageningen University in 1996, Lisette worked as a consultant with a number of PR & communication agencies. In 2006, she set up Lisette de Jong Teksten Verhalen and Schrijftrainingen. As a freelance text writer, editor and journalist, she works for several companies, and media in the area of food and nutrition. She developed several newsletters, brochures and annual reports, and wrote articles on a wide range of topics, including European food regulations, ingredient technology, sustainability and biotechnology. At Bridge2Food she is responsible for the text writing and editing of the in2food e-Magazine. Lisette also gives workshops in creative writing. Contact Lisette by e-mail or call her at +31 30 225 2060 (office).

Eva Schreuder - Conference Manager

Contact Eva by e-mail or call her at +31 30 225 2060 (office).

Annelies Osinga - International Conference Manager

Contact Annelies by e-mail or call her at +31 30 225 2060 (office).