Corbion, one of the foremost providers of nature-based preservation solutions, has chosen Maria Cecilia Londoño to lead the expansion of its Sustainable Food Solutions business in the APAC region. She will be based in Singapore. Rafael Contador, a nine-year veteran of the company, will now take the role of regional vice president, LATAM, heading the business unit’s efforts in the Latin America region. He will be based in São Paulo.

Londoño has led Corbion's growing food business in LATAM since joining the company in 2015, and has overseen major strategic acquisitions and integration efforts, delivering exceptional results. Her food industry experience is extensive, encompassing a variety of leadership roles, primarily in Latin America as well as in France, for some of the world's leading ingredients companies. She holds an Executive MBA from Fundacão Dom Cabral and has pursued post-graduate studies at the Saint Paul Business School and Stanford University among others.

"Having strong, collaborative leaders at the regional level is extremely important for a global food business," Muller said. "Maria Cecilia has excelled in propelling the business in the LATAM region through both organic and inorganic growth strategies, and she has been instrumental in fostering and developing other effective leaders within her organization. Her ability, knowledge, and experience will be a real advantage for us in the APAC region. And Rafael is ready to build on her success in LATAM going forward."

In his time with Corbion, Contador has served in a variety of roles encompassing business development, product management, sales, applications and marketing. In addition, he played a strategic role in leading the successful integration of Granotec (Brazil) and Granolife (Mexico) into the Corbion organization following those acquisitions.

"No one who knows Rafael would be surprised he has been asked to lead our food business in the LATAM region," said Andy Muller, President of Sustainable Food Solutions at Corbion. "He has earned the respect of our customers throughout the region and his colleagues at Corbion. He is a relationship-builder who offers a strong combination of technical understanding, customer focus and a collaborative spirit. When there's a challenge to solve, Rafael is often at the center of finding the right solution."

Contador holds a bachelor's degree in Food Engineering from the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) and has pursued post-graduate studies at EMM Group and Ashridge Business School in the Netherlands.