Solar Foods Oyj, company announcement 12 December 2025 at 11:00 EET
Solar Foods appoints Godert Zijlstra as Chief Commercial and Product Officer
Solar Foods Oyj ("Solar Foods" or "the company") announces the appointment of Godert Zijlstra as the company's new Chief Commercial and Product Officer (CCPO) and member of the Management Team, effective 5 January 2026. In his role, Zijlstra will lead Solar Foods' commercialization of Solein, the company's groundbreaking protein ingredient, and he will be responsible for all commercial and product-related topics, such as sales, marketing, and food industry regulatory affairs, as well as product and food applications. In his role, he will follow Troels Nørgaard, who has previously announced that he will leave the company to join another employer outside the industry.
Zijlstra has a strong background in the specialty ingredients industry, with a proven track record in building global business and establishing and leading global cross-functional teams. He has experience as Managing Director at clean label, functional ingredient developer Ulrick&Short. He drove the commercial growth and success as CCO at Glycom A/S, later acquired by dsm-firmenich, building lasting relationships with global key customers and entering new segments and applications. He has a further background at FrieslandCampina, J&J and Philips.
"Godert Zijlstra will play a key role in leading the execution of Solein's global commercialisation and product development. He has a strong background in the protein market and growth-focused roles in B2B business. He brings extensive experience in leading commercial growth with strong customer and consumer understanding. I'm pleased to have Godert join Solar Foods", says Rami Jokela, CEO of Solar Foods.
"I am honored and excited to be joining the Solar Foods team at this pivotal moment where we accelerate the commercialisation of Solein, for our customers, consumers and for the future sustainability of the global food ecosystem", says Godert Zijlstra.
As of 5 January 2026, Solar Foods' Management Team consists of the following members:
Rami Jokela, Chief Executive Officer
Ilkka Saura, Chief Financial Officer
Godert Zijlstra, Chief Commercial and Product Officer
Tiia Kuusimäki, Chief Operating Officer
Petri Tervasmäki, Chief Technology Officer
Juha-Pekka Pitkänen, Chief Scientific Officer
Additional information:
Rami Jokela, CEO, rami.jokela@solarfoods.com, tel. +358 10 579 3288
Images for editorial use: www.solarfoods.com/media
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What is Solein?
Solein is an all-purpose protein grown with the air we breathe: The unique bioprocess takes a single microbe, one of the billion different ones found in nature, and grows it by fermenting it using air and electricity. Solein is a nutritionally rich and versatile ingredient which can replace protein virtually in any food. Solein can also be used as a fortifier to complement the nutritional profile of various foods: it can be a source of iron, fibre and B vitamins, and it can also bring different techno-functionalities into food products. Learn more at www.solein.com.
About Solar Foods
Solar Foods produces Solein®, a protein created using carbon dioxide and electricity. This innovative production method is independent of weather and climate conditions, eliminating the need for traditional agriculture. Founded in Finland in 2017, Solar Foods is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland. Learn more at solarfoods.com and investors.solarfoods.com.
