Kees Aarts

Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Protix

Kees Aarts is a prominent entrepreneur and the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Protix, a company specializing in sustainable, insect-based nutritional solutions for feed and food. He has been leading Protix since December 2009, focusing on circular economy principles and innovative food production methods. Under his leadership, Protix has gained recognition as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and was awarded the title of Green Company of the Year in 2015.1

Professional Background

YPO Membership: Kees has been a member of YPO (Young Presidents' Organization) since January 2018, where he engages with other leaders to share insights and foster business growth.1
Previous Roles: His experience includes consulting at McKinsey and being involved with various initiatives aimed at supporting deep technology startups and environmental projects. He served on the board of Smart Parks and was part of the Future Council on Food Security and Agriculture at the World Economic Forum.1 2

Education

Kees holds a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from TU Delft, completed in 2006. He also participated in an Executive Program at Singularity University focused on agribusiness in 2014.1 2

Recognitions

His contributions to sustainable innovation have earned him several accolades, including:

#1 Impactful Growth Company by Erasmus Business School in June 2021.
Food100 Nomination for food innovators in 2017.
Recognition as one of the Top Sustainable Leaders in the Netherlands by Trouw in 2017.1

Kees Aarts continues to be an influential figure in promoting sustainable practices within the food industry through his leadership at Protix.

Highlights

Jan 17 · weforum.org

Kees Aarts - Agenda Contributor - The World Economic Forum

Experience

Chief Executive Officer, Founder at Protix (December 2009 - Present)

Member at YPO (January 2018 - Present); Member at Druid Collective (January 2016 - January 2021); Member of the Board at Smart Parks (January 2015 - January 2020); Member Future Council on Food Security and Agriculture at World Economic Forum (July 2016 - August 2018); Consultant at McKinsey (June 2007 - August 2009); Partner at KOJAC CV (2003 - 2006); Intern at Sandvik Materials Technology (2005)

Education

Executive Program, Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations at Singularity University (2014); MSc, Aerospace Engineering -- Fundamentals of Advanced Materials at TU Delft (1999 - 2006); vwo at Theresia Lyceum (1993 - 1999)