Managing Director

Red River Van Eck | Etten-Leur

Do business as if it were your own company. With the clout of an international, listed group behind you.

Red River Van Eck (RRVE) is an international specialist in poppy seeds and other speciality seeds. From our base in Etten-Leur, we source agricultural raw materials from around the world, process them – from cleaning and sorting to blending and packaging – and supply them to B2B customers and importers worldwide.

Our market is international, dynamic and entrepreneurial. Harvests vary from year to year, prices and exchange rates fluctuate, and the right moment to buy can be decisive for the bottom line. At the same time, our business revolves around something that changes less rapidly: strong relationships with customers and suppliers, often built up over many years.

As part of Acomo, a listed international group of companies operating in the food and beverage ingredients sector, we combine the entrepreneurial spirit of a lean organisation with the clout and governance of a larger group.

We are looking for a [position] for Red River Van Eck Managing Director who are drawn to that combination.

The role

As Managing Director, you will have overall responsibility for Red River Van Eck and bear full P&L responsibility. You will report to the Acomo Board, set the strategic direction together with your team, and take the decisions necessary to further develop the business.

However, this is emphatically not a role for a remote director.

You are at the heart of the company and are involved in the day-to-day running of the business. You know the customers and suppliers, understand what’s going on in procurement and sales, and are aware of what’s happening on the shop floor. One moment you’re discussing results and strategy with Acomo’s Board, the next you’re working with colleagues to assess a commercial opportunity or a practical operational issue.

In short: you are the entrepreneur behind RRVE within the Acomo Group.

Where do you make a difference?

Commercial entrepreneurship

You realise that, in today’s world, commerce goes far beyond simply selling. Value is created through the interplay between procurement, availability, quality, market prices, currency, processing, stock and sales.

You have an overview of the entire supply chain, can quickly assess information and then have the confidence to make a decision. At the same time, you look ahead: where are the opportunities for new products, customers or markets? And when is the right time to capitalise on them?

Relationships that last for years

In our market, trust, reputation and personal contact are essential. You find it easy to build relationships and are committed to maintaining them.

You are a trustworthy point of contact for customers and suppliers all over the world, honour your commitments and are able to secure long-term relationships for RRVE.

Leading by example

RRVE is a compact organisation. People work side by side here, and that is what we expect from our Managing Director too.

You are visible, approachable and committed. You provide direction and speak to people when necessary, but are just as happy to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in yourself. You provide clarity, make decisions and help the team as a whole to perform better.

Setting a course

‘Hands-on’ does not mean that you are only focused on the here and now. You can rise above day-to-day business and have a clear vision of where RRVE should be in a few years’ time.

Which products, markets, customers and capabilities are needed to further strengthen our position? You will translate that vision into concrete decisions and ensure that the organisation is on board with them.

Who are we looking for?

Above all, we are looking for a natural leader with a strong commercial instinct. Someone who is enterprising and opportunistic, without being reckless. Someone who works independently, takes ownership and is not afraid to make decisions.

You are approachable and a strong communicator, but you are also persuasive. You have a natural ability to win people over and feel equally at home sitting down with an international client, at a board meeting, or amongst colleagues on the shop floor.

In addition, you should ideally have the following:

• approximately 10–15 years’ relevant experience in a role with overall responsibility or a highly entrepreneurial commercial role;
• experience in the agri-food sector and with harvest- and raw material-driven products;
• experience in the food industry;
• a sound understanding of international buying and selling markets and the impact of price and currency fluctuations;
• sufficient understanding of production and processing procedures to grasp the relationship between operations, quality and commercial performance;
• experience of, or a clear preference for, a compact, enterprising organisation;
• the ability to present clearly and professionally, including at board level.

Specific knowledge of seeds is a definite advantage.

The environment you’ll find yourself in

This role is suited to someone who thrives on responsibility and close contact with others. The Managing Director is normally based in Etten-Leur five days a week. You will be part of the team and, as such, visible and approachable on a daily basis.

Furthermore, the responsibilities of the role are not always confined to office hours. International travel – expected to amount to a maximum of approximately three months per year – and meetings outside normal office hours are part and parcel of the role.

As the role requires daily attendance, we would prefer to recruit someone who lives within approximately an hour’s commute of Etten-Leur or who is willing to make this possible.

Entrepreneur at Acomo

You’ll be given plenty of scope to run your business independently, but you won’t be on your own. You’ll report to the Acomo Board and will be able to bounce ideas off and collaborate with Managing Directors from other companies within the group.

This role therefore offers a unique combination: the freedom, responsibility and dynamism of running an independent business, backed by the professionalism and clout of an international, publicly listed group.

We are not looking for a remote director. We are looking for someone who wants to run Red River Van Eck as if it were their own business.

Someone who recognises opportunities, dares to take decisions, builds long-term relationships and is visibly present amongst the staff every day. A leader who provides direction whilst also getting involved themselves – and in doing so, drives the team and the organisation forward.

Basic salary €125K per year

Performance bonus, results-based

Company car, pension, etc.