As a food engineer I really wanted to work in the food industry and the “sweet” sector attracted me more than for example the meat sector. After a first experience in ice cream I started to work for Barry Callebaut where I got “addicted” to chocolate, I have been working with chocolate ever since. Once you have chocolate in your veins it is forever. As a company I always say we are small for a multinational company, but we are the biggest in what we do. We are the heart and the soul of the chocolate industry! Barry Callebaut is a European based company with a very entrepreneurial culture.

We are growing impressively in Mexico with the opening of a new factory and new outsourcing deals. Also in the USA and Canada we need more capacity seeing that we are selling full capacity. Especially in the USA there is still a trend toward more and more premium chocolates. At the same time costs stay a very important factor resulting in fillings and playing with different structures. Adding capacity but at the same time staying very competitive and keeping good enough margins is something that we strive for every day.

As already stated I like very much the entrepreneurial side of the job, and the fact that you can build something is very challenging and rewarding. For all of you hoping to be a part of Barry Callebaut, I would say: be ready for a roller-coaster ride. Be open for new opportunities and cultures. It is a great company to work for and with lot of learning opportunities.