Regional VP Sales EMEA - Functional Ingredients, Pharma & Nutrition

Lead and Transform Commercial Efforts at Corbion

Please note: Corbion does not work with external recruitment agencies for this position. We will only consider applications submitted directly by candidates.

At Corbion, we exist to champion preservation in all its forms, preserving food and food production, health, and our planet.

At Corbion, we preserve what matters. From sustainable food preservation to cutting-edge health and nutrition solutions, we create ingredients that help shape a healthier future. We are now seeking a strategic, results-driven Head of Sales EMEA to lead and transform our commercial efforts across the region for our Functional Ingredients and Pharma & Nutrition portfolio.

This is a senior leadership role with a clear mandate to drive strategic change, accountability, and commercial excellence across EMEA. You will be expected to take full ownership of the region’s sales performance and be a key architect of its future growth.

About the Role

As Head of Sales EMEA, you will be a core member of Corbion’s global commercial leadership team, reporting directly to the Chief Commercial Officer. You will lead our commercial strategy and execution in the EMEA region, driving sustainable revenue growth, customer-centric innovation, and operational excellence. This role offers significant autonomy to shape the regional sales strategy, optimize team performance, and ensure that commercial goals are consistently met—or exceeded.

You are not just leading a team—you are setting the standard for our commercial presence in the region, representing Corbion externally and driving impact at the highest levels internally.

The role is based at one of our Dutch offices, in Amsterdam or Gorinchem (NL).

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Ownership

• Own and execute the commercial strategy for the EMEA region with full accountability for top-line results.
• Represent Corbion’s Functional & Health Ingredients business at the regional leadership level and in external forums.
• Be a catalyst for change, identifying and implementing improvements to commercial processes, structures, and strategies as needed.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, inspire, and develop regional sales teams with a strong focus on performance, accountability, and customer value creation.
• Create a high-performance culture based on transparency, empowerment, and continuous improvement.
• Drive team development through coaching, performance reviews, and succession planning.

Sales Strategy & Execution

• Translate global business strategy into clear, actionable regional sales plans.
• Identify growth opportunities, shape market entry strategies, and lead high-impact commercial initiatives.
• Align cross-functionally with marketing, product, and operations to ensure delivery of strategic priorities.

Sales Operations & Process Excellence

• Oversee forecasting, pipeline management, CRM compliance, and performance tracking.
• Drive commercial operational excellence by optimizing tools, processes, and data usage across the team.

Key Account & Customer Management

• Build and expand relationships with strategic customers, ensuring long-term partnerships.
• Lead high-stakes contract negotiations and secure deals that align with strategic goals.
• Ensure a best-in-class customer experience that differentiates Corbion in the market.

Market Intelligence & External Engagement

• Monitor industry dynamics, customer trends, and competitor activity to inform commercial strategy.
• Deliver market insights and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.
• Represent Corbion in relevant industry associations, consortia, and networking platforms.
• Proactively identify and assess opportunities for strategic partnerships and M&A in alignment with Corbion’s growth agenda.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with product management, R&D, supply chain, marketing, and finance to drive alignment and execution of shared objectives.
• Contribute actively to global commercial leadership forums and enterprise-level strategic planning.

What You Bring

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field (Master’s degree / Executive MBA preferred).

Experience

• 15+ years of progressive sales leadership experience, including regional or international P&L responsibility.
• Demonstrated success in driving commercial growth and leading cross-functional teams in complex, matrixed environments.
• Background in food, health, or nutrition industries highly preferred.

Skills

• Visionary leadership with strong strategic and operational execution capabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent in data-driven decision-making and experienced in CRM and analytics tools.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently across the EMEA region.

Personal Attributes

• Entrepreneurial, resilient, and change-oriented.
• Highly accountable with a passion for ownership and impact.
• Values-driven leader with a strong affinity for sustainability and innovation.

Why Corbion?

Joining Corbion means taking a strategic leadership position within a purpose-driven company committed to shaping the future of sustainable food and health solutions. You will have the autonomy and influence to define and drive the commercial agenda for EMEA, backed by a collaborative global team and a strong innovation pipeline.

About Corbion

Corbion is the global market leader in lactic acid and its derivatives, and a leading supplier of emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, minerals, vitamins, and algae ingredients. We use our unique expertise in fermentation and other processes to deliver sustainable solutions for the preservation of food and food production, health, and our planet. For over 100 years, we have been uncompromising in our commitment to safety, quality, innovation and performance. Drawing on our deep application and product knowledge, we work side-by-side with customers to make our cutting-edge technologies work for them. Our solutions help differentiate products in markets such as food, home & personal care, animal nutrition, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and bioplastics. In 2024, Corbion generated annual sales of €1,288.1 million and had a workforce of 2,399 FTE. Corbion is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. For more information: www.corbion.com

Corbion does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third party recruiting agencies in response to job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers. All candidates must be submitted by approved Corbion vendors who have been expressly requested to make a submission by our Talent Acquisition team for a specific job opening. No placement fees will be paid to any firm unless such a request has been made by the Corbion Talent Acquisition team and such candidate was submitted to the Corbion Talent Acquisition Team.

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