CEO change following the merger of Vivera and The Vegetarian Butcher

Rutger Rozendaal is taking the helm at The Vegetarian Butcher Collective. He succeeds Willem van Weede, who oversaw the merger of Vivera and The Vegetarian Butcher over the past year. The new CEO is tasked with steering Europe’s largest player in plant-based meat alternatives into its next phase of growth.

European market leader

The Vegetarian Butcher Collective is getting a new CEO. Rutger Rozendaal, formerly CEO of The Vegetarian Butcher, is taking over from Willem van Weede. Van Weede will remain involved with the organization as an advisor until the end of the year and will also retain a seat on the board of directors.

The change comes after a year in which Vivera and The Vegetarian Butcher were brought together under one roof, both now part of the meat conglomerate JBS. According to the company, that integration laid the foundation for a new phase, with a greater emphasis on growth, innovation, and international expansion. The Vegetarian Butcher Collective now calls itself Europe’s largest player in plant-based meat alternatives.

Foundation laid

Rozendaal is now tasked with bringing the next phase to fruition. He was closely involved in the growth and international development of The Vegetarian Butcher and brings experience in brand development, scaling up operations, and innovation within the plant-based food category. “I am honored to take on this role at such an important moment for our organization,” he says. “Together, we have laid a solid foundation over the past year. My focus is on building on that momentum.”

The Vegetarian Butcher, founded in 2010, is available at more than 55,000 retail locations in 45 countries, according to the company. Vivera, which has been in business since 1990, sells its vegetarian and plant-based meal components in more than 32,000 supermarkets across 25 European countries. The collective operates three production sites in the Netherlands: Breda, Holten, and Vriezenveen.