Our team

Our team consists of young pioneers who crave innovation and are committed to working on sustainability. From technology experts to business developers, from market sensitives to straight-up science enthusiasts. Let's meet the team!

Eef Brouwers
Manager Farming & Technology

If we are going to build something, Eef is our guy. With an electrical engineering background, he knows his way in the world of innovation. He needs innovation like oxygen. Eef was one of the first people involved at North Sea Farmers, he is mainly responsible for the primary production part and offshore operations. 

Maite de Medeiros
Coordinator Seaweed Markets

Maite has many years of working experience in interdisciplinary and multi-cultural settings as a consultant in the offshore energy industry. After investigating about a new role to play in times where fast paced changes are required, she found her answer on seaweed. With her combined background in ocean/geosciences & sustainable development, her goal is to contribute to a society where both planet and people thrive! This she brings into North Sea Farmers when coordinating the seaweed markets for non-food/feed applications.

Bram naves
Junior Fundraiser 

Bram wants to make North Sea Farmers as future-proof and sustainable as possible by working to build the community. Connecting organisations and individuals to the seaweed story is what motivates and drives Bram every day. He believes that seaweed is a keystone in a regenerative and circular economy, while supporting ecosystems and biodiversity.

Monique Veenker-le Bruijn
Business Controller

Monique is our tower of strength when it comes to keeping our pioneering ambitions financially viable. Always keeping her cool, she manages to navigate our project finances from foggy conditions to clear horizons. 

Aranka Kolmas
Junior Adviser

Circularity gives her a warm and fuzzy feeling. Aranka believes that seaweed has the power to solve many of today's major problems, which makes her excited to contribute to this emerging sector. With a background in marine science and aquaculture, her main role at North Sea Farmers will be project and account management for seaweed production. She is looking forward to tackling new ideas with enthusiasm, strategy and creativity.

Lennard ijpma
Offshore Test Site Manager

Lennard is truly an ocean enthusiast. Studying Marine Biology he discovered his great passion for seaweed that led him to great places. From Kelp research in Portugal and the Netherlands to working with seaweed in Norway and Ireland. His main interest lies in cultivation of multitropic systems and multi-use of the ocean.

Having also worked as a software developer Lennard has the knowledge to make the digital world and physical world work together. Over the weekends you can find him surfing and in case he is not surfing himself he is making sure the next generation is filled with ocean enthusiasts by teaching kids all about surfing.

Jip Huges
Accountmanager Food (interim)

Jip Huges is studying Nutrition & Dietetics at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. During her internship she will focus on the use of seaweed in the field of nutrition. During her studies, her interest in innovation and solutions for a more sustainable world has grown. Seaweed, of course, is a perfect example of this! That's why she's staying with North Sea Farmers for a little while longer.  

Britt de ruijter
Intern

Britt has a strong affinity for marine life and climate and finds it very important to make my own contribution. That is why she is studying for a Masters in Environmental Sciences at Wageningen University.
Within North Sea Farmers she will mainly focus on creating a roadmap for the different seaweed sectors. She hopes to contribute to the potential of seaweed with her enthusiasm and perseverance. 

ADVISORY BOARD
Anouk Florentinus - chairman

With a broad and extensive expercience in innovation management, Anouk is our much appreciated chairman of the Advisory Board. Developing the seaweed sector has much resemblance to growing the sustainable energy sector, which is her focus at Vattenfall.

ADVISORY BOARD
Martijn van Dam

Martijn has a background working at the House of Representatives of the Dutch Government, specialized in climate, food, ICT, innovation. Next to his current role as member of the Board of the Dutch Foundation for Publlic Broadcasting (NPO), he is a member of our Advisory Board.