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We would like to welcome our new Director of Research & Development, Dr. Giovanni Cennini! With over 20 years of experience and know-how in business development and innovation, Giovanni is the right man to guide Moba's R&D department into the future. "I am very happy to be working at such an ambitious company and with so many passionate people. And I can't wait to work with Moba's management team to take the company to the next level and to keep delivering the best possible value to our customers."
As a young boy living in Italy, Giovanni was amazed by all the technology that comes with food processing and dreamed of owning a chocolate factory. Well, that dream hasn't come true, but as of September 2021 he is now part of the management team at Moba, having taken on the role of Director of R&D. "It isn't exactly owning a factory, but I believe this is as great as it allows me to design and create high-tech solutions for food processing and more. Together with the R&D team, I am responsible for making improvements to the current portfolio and future innovations. Time and time again, we have to ask ourselves: what are the needs of our customers, both now and in the future. And we need to be ready with meaningful solutions. This is a very exciting journey for every company."
The global population is increasing, while food resources are remaining the same, or even reducing. This will be a huge challenge for all of us in the years to come and it will require innovative and sustainable solutions.
Ready for a new challenge
Giovanni studied physics in Naples, Italy, and got his Ph.D. in Germany, at the Max Planck Institute in Munich and the University of Tuebingen. He also holds an MBA from the RSM in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Over the last 16 years, he has worked at Philips in several business units covering a variety of roles, and then at Signify (formerly known as Philips Lighting), which specializes in connected LED lighting systems, software and services. During that time, Giovanni focused on sales and business development opportunities through cross-functional leadership of R&D functions, product management, service, operations, business partners and financing to support new product development.
After 16 years, Giovanni was ready to take the next step in his career. "I thought that working in the food industry would be exciting, especially if you look at the transformations taking place within this industry. The global population is increasing, while food resources are remaining the same, or even reducing. This will be a huge challenge for all of us in the years to come and it will require innovative and sustainable solutions. So when I was approached for the position of Director of R&D at Moba, a leader in the egg industry with a mission to enable food producers worldwide to feed a growing world population with high-quality, tasty, affordable, egg-based food, I was very interested. Moba needs to take a comprehensive look at the value chain and find ways to innovate it. Moreover, the challenges in the industry demand ever-increasing levels of professionalism and R&D performance to better respond to opportunities. Enabling this will be among the main strategic activities of the Director of R&D. This is what made me decide to accept the job at Moba."
What I noticed in my first weeks at the company was the incredible passion and commitment of its employees. Everyone working at this company gives their all and more to make things happen.
The Moba family
After the first meeting with Mr. Edwin Bolwerk, Moba's CEO, and Mr. Anton Janssen, Moba's CFO, Giovanni knew that Moba was the right fit. "The more I knew about Moba, the more I wanted the job. I really liked the ambition and vision of the company. These are exciting times for Moba. The world is constantly changing and we need to keep a close eye on the latest trends and technologies. And I believe that with my knowledge and experience I can help Moba to take this next step into the future."
Giovanni has been part of Moba for a few weeks now and is very happy with his decision to join the team: "What I noticed in my first weeks at the company was the incredible passion and commitment of its employees. Everyone working at this company gives their all and more to make things happen. That gives me a lot of positive energy, and I feel like I have joined one big family."
The world is constantly changing and it is up to us to provide our customers with the right know-how, equipment and services to be ready to take on all the challenges of the egg industry and, who knows, maybe even beyond that.
Total solution provider
Giovanni has a clear vision of what is next for Moba: "Moba is the world leader in the egg industry, but staying on top is no easy task. We need to stay one step ahead, constantly thinking about future possibilities and the needs of our customers. The R&D department plays a key role in this process." Over the years, Moba has evolved from a machine builder to a total solution provider. "We need to look beyond the egg and find ways to add value to the complete operations of our customers. How? It is all about creating products and services that unlock new value for them and hence for us at Moba. For example, it is becoming harder and harder for packing stations to find skilled employees. By implementing smart solutions, like robotics and in general automation throughout the value chain, we will help our customers to be faster, more efficient and future-proof. The world is constantly changing and it is up to us to provide our customers with the right know-how, equipment and services to be ready to take on all the challenges of the egg industry and, who knows, maybe even beyond that."