Food & Beverage Ingredients Executive Search Expertise
At Kelham Partners, we specialise in retained executive search for manufacturers and suppliers of food and beverage ingredients, supporting leadership hiring across commercial, innovation, operations, and regulatory functions.
From global producers of sweeteners, starches, and proteins to clean-label formulation partners and bio-based nutrition innovators, we understand the technical demands, evolving consumer trends, and regulatory pressures shaping this market.
Whether you’re building a commercial team in Europe, hiring technical leadership in North America, or professionalising operations post-investment, we help you secure leaders who bring credibility, agility, and commercial impact.
Who We Support
We work with ingredient businesses operating in
- Functional & active ingredients
Fibres, proteins, enzymes, prebiotics, adaptogens - Sweeteners & texturisers
Natural sweeteners, stevia, polyols, starches, gums - Preservatives, emulsifiers & stabilisers
Clean-label and conventional - Plant-based & alternative proteins
Pea, soy, mycoprotein, fermentation-derived - Fats, oils & flavour carriers
Natural and synthetic - Bio-based & sustainable ingredients
Upcycled, circular, carbon-reducing - Formulation partners & application labs
Toll processors, Contract manufacturers, innovation hubs
Our clients span multinationals, PE-backed platforms, Speciality suppliers, and branded ingredient innovators.
Typical Roles We Recruit
We specialise in international recruitment across
- Commercial Leadership: Regional Sales Directors, BU Heads, KAMs, Category Managers
- Innovation & Applications: Heads of R&D, Food Scientists, Application Chemists
- Regulatory & Quality: Heads of QA/RA, Food Safety, Compliance (FSSC, BRC, EFSA, FDA)
- Operations & Supply Chain: Manufacturing Directors, S&OP Leads, Procurement Heads
- C-Suite: Country Managers, General Managers, VP Commercial, CTO, COO
Built for Ingredients. Delivered Globally.
We understand how food and beverage ingredient businesses scale — and what it takes to lead them. From navigating margin pressure and compliance to unlocking value through innovation and commercial strategy, we help you build the leadership capacity that drives performance.
With search delivery experience across EMEA, North America, and APAC, we support clients across local, regional, and global talent mandates.
Case Study
Head of Innovation – Clean-Label Food Ingredients Manufacturer
Client
A high-growth European supplier of natural starches, fibres, and sweeteners, backed by private equity and expanding rapidly into new markets.
Brief
Hire a Head of Innovation to lead product development, manage a growing team of food scientists, and partner with sales and customers on new application pipelines across bakery, dairy alternatives, and beverages.
Challenges
- Needed a blend of technical expertise, leadership capability, and customer-facing experience
- Role required alignment with global sustainability and nutrition strategy
- Previous R&D function was siloed and under-commercialised
Our Approach
We conducted a retained search focused on innovation leaders in clean-label, plant-based, and functional food ingredients, prioritising those with cross-functional exposure and a commercial mindset.
Outcome
The successful hire joined from a major plant protein producer and brought strong bakery formulation experience. Within 9 months, they launched three new customer co-developed products and integrated technical marketing into the NPD process, significantly improving speed to market.
Hiring into the food & beverage ingredients space?
Let’s connect — and find leaders who understand food science, regulation, and the markets that matter.
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