New IMCD global head of food & nutrition to drive strategic growth
IMCD, a global leader in the distribution and formulation of specialty chemicals and ingredients, today announced a significant leadership change aimed at accelerating the growth and strengthening the technical expertise of its business group food & nutrition.
Effective 1 March 2026, Emmanuel Colette will assume the role of global leader, business group food & nutrition. He will take on this expanded role in addition to his current position as managing director, IMCD France.
In his new capacity, Colette is mandated to guide the global development of the food & nutrition division, with a clear focus on strengthening its commercial and technical offering. His objective will be to accelerate the business group’s contribution to IMCD’s overall growth ambitions in the highly competitive specialty ingredients sector.
Marcus Jordan, CEO of IMCD, expressed strong confidence in the appointment. “Emmanuel Colette has been successful in every step of his career through the trust he builds with his teams and his strong track record of delivery,” Jordan commented. “I am confident Emmanuel will bring the same energy and leadership to Food & Nutrition and continue to drive our growth globally.”
Colette brings a wealth of international experience to the global leadership position. He joined IMCD in 2012, initially holding product manager roles before moving to Asia in 2020 to lead food & nutrition in the Asia Pacific region and serve as managing director of IMCD Singapore.
During his time in Asia, Colette achieved remarkable results, successfully doubling the food & nutrition business through a combination of organic growth, expansion of key supplier partnerships, and the strategic acquisition of EurochemoPharma in Malaysia. He returned to Europe in March 2024 as managing director of IMCD France.
Colette commented on his new challenge, stating, “I’m equally honored and energised by this new challenge. Food and nutrition is a real passion of mine, and I’m committed to building on the momentum created by Marc van Gerwen and the teams worldwide.”
Colette will replace Marc van Gerwen, who will retire on 1 March 2026 after a distinguished 38-year career in the chemicals and ingredients industry. CEO Marcus Jordan acknowledged van Gerwen’s significant impact, noting that under his leadership, the business group “has grown significantly and strengthened its position across regions.”
Colette confirmed he will continue to oversee the French operations in parallel with his global responsibilities, adding, “I will continue working closely with our team in France as we drive our acceleration plan and maintain our focus on excellence to deliver superb service to our customers and suppliers.”
