Defne Saral is the Head of Sales for EMENA region of ofi (Olam Food Ingredients). Her team consists of regional sales leaders for product platforms (cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, spices) and the private label channel.

Defne joined ofi August 2021, bringing 25 years of business experience in a variety of industries; chemicals, automotive, textiles construction, personal care and food ingredients. She has held roles with profit and loss responsibility, within marketing and sales, product management and business management. She works with customers on innovation on food ingredients and food solutions.

Defne is passionate about nourishing the planet sustainably. The world is becoming increasingly conscious about what we eat and how our choices impact the environment. People want to know where their food comes from, how it’s made, how healthy it is, and the size of their food-footprint. With this comes the challenge of feeding an ever-growing population sustainably. What keeps Defne going is a continuous quest for improvement, whether it was bettering herself, her teams, the company, or society at large.

Defne holds an MBA from IMD, Switzerland and a Bachelor in Systems Science Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, USA. She is of Turkish origin, is a Swiss citizen and lives in Amsterdam.