Netherlands-headquartered agriculture, food and transport conglomerate Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has named Max Clegg (pictured) as head of its newly formed corporate venturing vehicle, LDC Innovation.
Clegg joined Louis Dreyfus in 2012 after five years at power and industrial equipment producer General Electric’s financial services arm, GE Capital. He held two North America-focused roles from its New York office, initially as head of corporate development and mergers and acquisitions, before shifting to head of food innovation in 2019.
LDC Innovations has not disclosed its fund size but will concentrate on food and farming technology developers.
The unit will operate under the corporate’s innovations and downstream group, which will be overseen by Thomas Couteaudier, its Singapore-based chief executive for South and Southeast Asia, following current head Kristen Eshak Weldon’s imminent departure later this month, according to Reuters.
Louis Dreyfus CEO Ian McIntosh said: “This program is another positive step in our strategic growth plans, as part of which we are investing in innovations and technologies that can help meet increasing global demand for healthy, nutritious products that are responsibly sourced and produced.
“Over the coming months, we will invest in early-stage companies with the potential to transform the food and agriculture industries. Most importantly, we will support businesses which share our vision for a safe and sustainable future through transparent supply chains, responsible sourcing and long-term value creation.”
Photo of Max Clegg courtesy of LinkedIn.
