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Open to Permanent
Open to Permanent

Arnaud Backbier

Strategic General Manager | CCO | Driving Commercial Growth, Innovation & Impact in Food, Performance Chemicals, Fashion, Materials & Biotechnology
About

As a strategic business leader, general management, CCO/CMO, and Non-Executive Director, I bring over 20 years of expertise in commercial leadership, operations, and general management across biotechnology, performance chemicals, materials, textiles, and the circular economy. I specialize in driving business profitable growth, sustainable growth, and market expansion, leveraging a track record in: ✅ General Management & CCO/CMO Leadership – Scaling businesses, driving revenue, and optimizing commercial strategies and sales excellence. ✅ Board Governance & NED Experience – Offering strategic oversight, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. ✅ M&A, Start-up growth, Market Expansion & Business Development – Identifying growth opportunities including for start-ups. ✅ Corporate/Company Strategy & Digital Transformation – Aligning innovation with long-term profitability. ✅ Operational Excellence & Organizational Leadership – Building high-performance teams and cultures. I am passionate about driving innovation, sustainability, and governance excellence. Open to opportunities as in general managment, CCO, or Non-Executive Director to contribute my expertise in guiding businesses toward strategic success.

Previous Brands
Leather Naturally
Volksuniversiteit Rotterdam
YES!Delft
Industry | Life Science | Biotechnology | Performance Chemicals | Food | Textiles
Royal Smit & Zoon
Smit & zoon
dsm-firmenich
EY
Work Experience
Member of The Supervisory Board
May ‘25 -
Leather Naturally

Member of the Supervisory Board at Leather Naturally, promoting sustainable leather. Focus on governance, strategy, ESG, stakeholder engagement, and industry advocacy.

Board Member
Mar ‘24 -
Volksuniversiteit Rotterdam

The fund for the Volksuniversiteit manages the assets and the financial reserves for the Volksuniversiteit Rotterdam. The supervisory board member is responsible for ensuring that the fund operates in the interest of the long term sustainability of its assets and financial situation. This includes ensuring that the fund's activities align with its mission and values, and that decisions are made in the best interest of the university and its stakeholders in the community of Rotterdam. Strategic planning and oversight are other key aspects of the role.

Business Mentor/Advisor
Jan ‘24 -
YES!Delft

Coaching/mentoring/advising start-ups.

Commercial | Sales | Business (Unit) Director | Operations
Nov ‘23 -
Industry | Life Science | Biotechnology | Performance Chemicals | Food | Textiles

A commercial leader/ business director / CCO, sales, marketing, advisor or operations or interim general manager for sales, business development, strategy, commercialization, innovation, organizational development, M&A or operations excellence. - Focus and experience for biobased performance chemicals, life science, biotechnology, leather, textiles, ingredients, proteins, materials (incl fabrics) and food. - Advisor / coach / mentor to startups in and after Yes!Delft validation lab program. - M&A advisor.

Global Commercial Director
Jan ‘18 - Nov ‘23
Royal Smit & Zoon

For Performance Chemicals global responsible (VP/Vice President/CCO) in leather industry for commercial, sales and marketing, profitability, new business development, product management, application lab, innovation and overall P&L management, strategic direction and managing director / division director for the main divisions. Leading for new Biobased and more sustainable products.

Head of Supply Chain
Jul ‘15 - Dec ‘17
Smit & zoon

Responsible for the company customer service, sales back office, supply chain and logistics and link with procurement / purchasing.

Global Supply Chain Manager for food enzymes and functional food ingredients
May ‘11 - Jun ‘15
dsm-firmenich

Delivering the product in the most optimal to the customer and at optimal working capital any place around the globe. Key elements ito develop and implement a global strategy, improve on time deliveries and drive down working capital. Work global key accounts to deliver to their specific requirements.

Supply Chain Planning Manager for food enzymes and functional oils
Oct ‘09 - May ‘11
dsm-firmenich

Planning the global supply chain and lead the planning team. Optimize inventory to improve financial results. Improve the S&OP process. Integrate and disintegrate businesses which are acquired, divested or moved to another division.

Site Supply Chain & Purchasing Manager
Mar ‘08 - Oct ‘09
dsm-firmenich

Responsible for the purchasing, planning, customer service and logistics at a pharmaceutical (chemical) ingredient site. Lead the site supply chain / procurement team. Change management for a reorganization via integration and moving functions to centralized functions.

Project and Change Manager
Jan ‘06 - Mar ‘08
dsm-firmenich

On pharmaceutical sites first as managing small projects and later change management with a major ERP / transformation project focus on transformation for a more effective way of running the business.

Assistant Business Group Controller
Jul ‘03 - Jan ‘06
dsm-firmenich

Business Group controller. Responsibilities included building a corporate governance structure for the division and a change management project for a major transformation project in the USA.

Auditor & Advisor
Jan ‘00 - Dec ‘03
EY

Advisor and auditor for medium to large companies with a focus on ERP (SAP) supported work processes. Providing management consulting for companies to improve their work processes. Sales experience via sales and account management.

Languages
Dutch - Native
English - Fluent
German - Fluent
French - Basic
Spanish - Basic
Education & Training
Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
‘23 - Unknown
Oxford Leading Sustainable Corporations Programme
Università Bocconi
‘23 - ‘23
Corporate Sustainability. Understanding and Seizing the Strategic Opportunity
Stellenbosch Business School
‘18 - ‘18
Business/Commerce
RBS MBA Program at Renmin University of China
‘17 - ‘17
Business Administration and Management
Nyenrode Business University
‘16 - ‘19
Executive MBA
TIAS School for Business and Society
‘01 - ‘03
Post-Grad
Tilburg University
‘95 - ‘00
Masters
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Organizational Leadership
New Life University
Practioner NLP
Randstad, Netherlands