Agrico: Mark Zuidhof prepares to succeed Jan van Hoogen

September 19, 2022

Agrico has announced that Operations Manager Mark Zuidhof will be appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Emmeloordbased potato Cooperative on 16 September. From that moment on he, together with the current Director Jan van Hoogen, will form the Board of Directors under the Articles of Association of the Company. Mark will then work together with Jan van Hoogen and ultimately follow him as CEO. The Cooperative has announced that Van Hoogen will step down from his Director’s position with effect from 1 January 2024. By that time, Zuidhof will have fully taken over all his tasks and, like his predecessor, will be in overall charge.

Agrico has deliberately opted for a temporary adjustment of the management structure in order to enable a ‘warm transfer’ of tasks, powers and responsibilities, according to a press release. As reported by Adrie Vermeulen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, the Cooperative is aiming for a careful process without time pressure when it comes to the transfer. ‘This does justice to the nature, size and complexity of the Company and its Participations, he says. He believes that Agrico also has an important position in the potato sector, both nationally and internationally. ‘Jan van Hoogen has always done a great job with this. Naturally, that position must be retained when there is a management change, which is why we’re very happy that we’ve a suitable internal candidate who can carefully familiarise himself with his new job thanks to the transition period. This ensures the continuity of the company’, says Vermeulen. Mark Zuidhof will take over increasingly more tasks from Jan van Hoogen during the time that they’re working together, he said. Van Hoogen has been working for the Cooperative since 1989, of which more than 10 years as CEO. ‘He will remain associated with Agrico as a consultant for a few months after he retires as Director on January 1, 2024, in order to perform a number of jobs for the Cooperative, but these are separate from the management tasks’, Vermeulen describes the course of the transfer.

An honour and a challenge

Van Hoogen says that he is pleased with the way the transfer is being organised. ‘As everyone knows, I’m deeply committed to Agrico. I’m very happy that the company is doing well, thanks also to the efforts of our staff. I think it’s time to make way for a successor and I’m happy that in Mark, with whom I’ve already worked intensively and pleasantly, we have a good internal candidate,’ is his response. And as Zuidhof said, it’s both an honour and a challenge to be able to succeed Van Hoogen. ‘He’s very well known in our industry. I’ll do everything I can to further the position of our company. Of course, I already know Agrico well from my current position, I feel closely involved in the Cooperative and I consider myself lucky that I still have time to learn from Jan’s knowledge and experience. I look forward to working together.’

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