Ontario Plants Propagation Limited (website), a key supplier of premium starter plants to greenhouse growers across North America, has announced the appointment of Mathieu van de Sande as its new Chief Executive Officer. Van de Sande is a Controlled Environment Agriculture industry veteran with two decades of leadership experience.
Van de Sande previously held the Head of Business Development position at PlantLab, a prominent indoor farming company based in the Netherlands. He spearheaded the company’s growth by establishing various partnerships and joint ventures there. He has also served in various sales and account management roles in several horticultural businesses in the United States and the Netherlands.
With van de Sande’s appointment, Rob Poultney will step into an expanded role as Chief Financial & Administrative Officer. Poultney will continue to oversee the company’s financial and operational performance, including developing Ontario Plants Propagation’s second site at Glencoe, Ontario. This follows Poultney’s successful leadership during the acquisition of Ontario Plants Propagation by COFRA Holding last year.
David Levin, Executive Chair of COFRA Holding’s Sustainable Food Group, expressed his confidence in van de Sande’s leadership, saying, “A sharper focus on biosecurity, sustainability, and customer service will be crucial to future success, and I am confident that Mathieu – with his industry experience, commercial acumen, and leadership skills – will help lead the business to new heights.”
Levin also commended Poultney’s achievements at Ontario Plants Propagation: “He led Ontario Plants Propagation through its acquisition and integration into COFRA’s Sustainable Food Group while overseeing plans for the company’s second site at Glencoe. I am delighted that he has accepted an expanded role of Chief Administrative Officer on top of resuming his CFO responsibilities.”
Upon his appointment, Van de Sande stated, “I am excited to join Ontario Plants Propagation as it scales up and invests – with COFRA’s support – in new growing facilities to strengthen customer relationships further and improve biosecurity and sustainability. Rob and the team deserve huge credit for building what is undoubtedly one of North America’s top providers of starter plants. I look forward to working with them to continue the business’ success.”
This leadership transition comes as the Ontario-based company is gearing up to amplify its presence and fortify its relationships with growers across North America.
Image provided by Ontario Plants Propagation
