Commercial Director Europe - Interfood

The organisation

Interfood is a leading global dairy commodity trading company. The core business includes providing market insights, dairy risk management, supply chain coordination, and technical support across the international dairy value chain. The company is known for combining high‑quality product delivery with strong, long‑term customer relationships, supported by a family‑like culture that has remained central to its identity as it expanded globally. 

CEO Frank van Stipdonk led the company from 1990 until 2025 through a period of international growth while preserving the entrepreneurial spirit and familial roots of the business. In August 2025, Andries de Groen assumed the role of CEO at Interfood, succeeding Frank van Stipdonk. Franks son, Edwin van Stipdonk, holds the role of CCO within the company.  

Interfood is in a period of transition and strategic renewal. The introduction of a new governance model, the appointment of a new, non-family CEO in August 2025, and the rollout of an updated corporate strategy (Strategy 2028) mark a clear shift toward a more future-focused organization.  

Interfood’s culture can be described as informal and no‑nonsense (Brabant‑style), with direct lines of communication, the ability to move fast and act quickly, and a strong emphasis on ownership as a core value. 

The function

The primary focus of the Commercial Director is to lead the commercial organization of the European HUB, design the commercial strategy, deliver the commercial results as aligned in the annual business plan and build high-performing commercial teams and capabilities for sustained future success. 

Interfood is led by the Global board of Directors together with the Managing Directors responsible for the 3 geographic HUBs. Europe, APAC and Americas.  

Each HUB has its own management team, including a Commercial Director who is responsible for all commercial disciplines: Trade, Derivatives, and Accounts.  

Interfood has a long-standing track record of excellence in commodity trading. However, the intention has been clearly expressed to strongly focus on developing top‑level Account Management in order to create long‑term value with and for customers. Therefore, Interfood is looking for a strong Commercial Director for the European HUB, who brings top-level experience in Account Management. 

The Commercial Director lifts the whole commercial organization to a higher more structured and professional level. The Commercial Director can add the most value by developing top‑level Account Management and building a high‑performing team in this field.

The candidate

Experience 

• Progressive experience in senior commercial leadership roles for minimum 8–10 years, ideally in top-tier global player comparable to Interfood or Food B2B / ingredients, FMCG. 
• Proven track record in top level Account Management, with demonstrated ability to lead across the full commercial value chain, from market positioning and deal-making to customer development and margin optimization.  
• Demonstrated ability to lift the business to the next level, develop and implement commercial strategies, lead high-performing teams, and deliver sustainable business growth.  
• Experience working in an international, multicultural environment with global customer and supplier portfolios.  
• Proven track record in quickly mastering new markets and navigating them effectively. Can formulate new business models, understand where market value lies, and translate this into a clear plan. Switched already successfully once or twice from employer. 
• Strong business acumen with a deep understanding of market dynamics, supply chain interdependencies, and risk management, including familiarity with financial instruments (e.g. derivatives, hedging strategies).  
• Experience within the dairy industry or a comparable international commodity or B2B trading environment is a plus. 
• Master’s degree and fluent in English. 

Leadership skills  

• Winning mentality, shows ownership, discipline and entrepreneurship to strive every day for the maximum result in terms of business growth and the development of the teams. Wants to make impact. 
• Inspires with vision and clarity, motivating teams through purpose, ownership, and a strong belief in “Together for Better” as a driver of value and behavior.  
• Displays a strong will and maintains a low ego, strong opinion but remains approachable and self-aware even in high-pressure, high-stakes environments.  
• Acts as a collaborative commercial leader who believes that high-performing teams outperform individual brilliance, builds trust, energy, and shared accountability across the commercial organization.
   

If you are interested, we kindly ask you to follow our standard application process and submit your CV and any supporting motivation in PDF format. Applications can be submitted as long as the vacancy is published online.

The responsible consultant will review your profile to assess its suitability for the role. If there is a match, you will be invited to a Teams call, during which we will explore your background and the position in more detail, so you can gain a clear understanding of the role.