Tjerk de Ruiter
Chief Executive Officer, Genencor
Tjerk de Ruiter is Chief Executive Officer for Genencor, the biotechnology division of Danisco A/S.
Prior to joining Genencor in 2006, Tjerk held a number of leadership positions at Danisco A/S including Senior Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing, Chief Operating Officer for Cultures, Specialties, and Flavors, and President of Danisco US. In 2004, he was named to the Danisco A/S executive committee.
Prior to joining Danisco in 1998, Tjerk held a number of positions in the food ingredient industry including serving as Chief Operations Officer for the Americas at Cultor Food Science, which was acquired by Danisco A/S in 1999.
He also held positions at Quest International and Naarden International. A native of The Netherlands, Tjerk holds a bachelor of business administration degree from the University Nijenrode and a master of international management degree from the American Graduate School of International Management.