My name is Hans Hilbrands, and I am Partner and Senior Consultant at Van de Groep & Olsthoorn Food BV. As of 1 March 2025, I joined forces with Jakob Jan Verbraak and the broader Van de Groep & Olsthoorn team to launch this new dedicated division within our organisation.
In 1987, I graduated in Food Technology from Wageningen University. After completing my military service, I started my career at Campina (now FrieslandCampina) in 1988, where I spent 13 years in various roles, primarily in Marketing & Sales and Human Resources. From 2002 to early 2025, I worked at DUPP in two separate phases, focusing on recruitment and executive search in the food sector. Between 2013 and 2016, I served as Director of HAS Green Academy in Den Bosch, overseeing all food-related study programmes.
The food industry has been a consistent thread throughout my career. I closely follow current developments in healthy nutrition, sustainable food production and technological innovation. As a headhunter, I take great pride in truly understanding our food clients – their business, their people and their culture – to make the right personal match for crucial positions. I enjoy working with a wide range of organisations, from multinationals and mid-sized companies to SMEs and start-ups/scale-ups. It’s this variety – of companies, roles and people – that I find especially rewarding.
Since 1995, I’ve been living in Doorn with my wife Saskia. We have two daughters who both studied in Utrecht and are now working. Sports and wine are two of my main hobbies. I was very active in sports in my younger years and still play tennis and padel weekly. I also enjoy following various sports as a fan. In recent years, I’ve developed a deep interest in wine. I love exploring the country, region, grape variety and all the other factors that influence aroma and flavour. And of course, I love to share and enjoy great wine with others!
