NutriLeads has announced the appointment of Joana Carneiro, PhD as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
NutriLeads is a pioneer in functional food, beverage and supplement ingredients that include award-winning BeniCaros for immune and gut health. Co-founder and former CEO Erik Dam is stepping down from the company as it is accelerating into the next growth phase.
Dr Carneiro joined NutriLeads in April 2022 as Chief Commercial Officer with responsibilities for sales, marketing and business development. She previously held several leadership positions in both research and development and commercial operations during a decade at DSM, the global health, nutrition and biosciences company. Her positions included Global Commercial Operations Director and Global Business Director with P&L responsibility for ingredient businesses serving several segments of the food and beverage market. She led multidisciplinary business teams and developed and executed growth strategies that resulted in strong sales and increased market share.
The incoming CEO also a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the Delft University of Technology.
“Joana is ideally suited to lead the company as it transitions from its research and development stage to a global commercial business marketing innovative functional ingredients to manufacturers and formulators worldwide,” said Sanne Melles, Chairman of the NutriLeads Supervisory Board. “The combination of her scientific expertise and real-world success leading and growing B2B ingredient businesses will help us realize the tremendous potential of BeniCaros and NutriLeads’ patented RG-I technology platform.”
“I’m thrilled to lead our company to the next level,” said Carneiro. “We have an innovative technology platform with numerous health applications and a natural immune health ingredient (BeniCaros) with a unique dual mechanism of action that is unlike any other in the natural products industry. Equally important, we have a great team that is passionate about partnering with manufacturers to bring our bioactive ingredients to the market so people everywhere can live happier and healthier lives.”
Melles recognised Dam’s contributions to NutriLeads. “On behalf of the Board, we thank Erik and wish him the best. We will build on the foundation he helped create.”
“After co-founding NutriLeads in 2014 it has been an exciting journey together with the excellent and passioned team,” said Dam. “The launch late 2021 of our immune ingredient BeniCaros in the US market and the transition to a commercial health ingredient company are just a couple of highlights. As we now reach the next phase of our growth strategy it is a good time to handover my position as CEO to Joana Carneiro. I wish her and the team all the success needed to drive the business forward.”
BeniCaros is a bioactive polysaccharide (fiber) derived from upcycled carrot pomace. It trains the immune system to be fit year-round through a unique dual mode of action that both prepares innate immune cells and stimulates beneficial gut microorganisms that accelerates immune responses. Peer-reviewed clinical research demonstrates that just 300mgs daily of BeniCaros accelerated protective immune responses and significantly reduced the severity and duration of symptoms after a controlled challenge with a common cold virus.
