Starting from scratch, Joost Wouters and his teams now run seaweed operations all over the globe. Meet the sparkling & inspiring SeaEO of Europe’s largest seaweed enterprise.
Creating tangible impact. That’s all Joost Wouters is after. Six years ago, Joost falls in love with seaweed, and as a result, he and his companions establish The Seaweed Company in 2018. A globally operating impact enterprise that sustainably cultivates seaweed to let the world benefit from healthy and valuable seaweed-based applications.
After studying mechanical engineering in Delft, Joost starts his professional career at Procter & Gamble in sales and marketing. On his 29th he is asked to join the Management Team of Pepsi Cola Benelux and becomes responsible for the sales of all PepsiCo beverages in that region. At the birth of his first son, Joost decides to quit his job and in 2002 he starts his own Management Consulting firm. Soon he works together with clients such as KPN, Unilever, Campina, Heineken, LG.Philips, Nestlé, Sara Lee, P&G and Vodafone.
After four years Joost and his wife decide to sell their home in The Netherlands and leave with their two children to the USA, where they travel around for a year in a 1972 Ford Winnebago to realize a long-held dream. Upon their return, they buy a one-way ticket to Spain and build a house with training location on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea. Here Joost invites Leadership Teams, which he helps with realizing their strategic plans and building vital and dynamic teams.
Coming back from Spain, a deep urge to have tangible impact for the generations to come leads to an exploration in the field of sustainable solutions. This is when he runs into the concept of seaweed. An untapped resource, full of bioactive ingredients that can support the health & wellbeing of humans, animals, crops and soils. Without the need of land, fresh water or fertilizers.
Joost speaks from his rich personal experiences in management, entrepreneurship and sustainability. He always provides the public with thought provoking insights that can be implemented immediately into daily business. As a speaker Joost guarantees a high level of interaction, refreshing demonstrations, and quick perspective changes. Clients characterize him as enthusiastic, knowledgeable and enthusiastic:
“Energetic and vibrant! With his positive attitude, incredible communication skills and profound business knowledge, Joost manages to establish a fruitful connection with us, the audience.”