Company Announcements

PRESS RELEASE

Personnel News: REPLOID appoints Paul van der Raad as Director of Global Petfood; Business Development team further strengthened

 

WELS, Austria – April 13, 2026 – REPLOID Group AG (“REPLOID”) welcomes additional three highly-experienced senior managers.

Philip Pauer, CEO and founder of REPLOID, commented: “Once again, we have succeeded in attracting highly talented and experienced leaders to REPLOID. I am confident that, with these three new additions, we will drive our dynamic expansion forward in a smart and focused way.”

Paul van der Raad has joined the Group as Director of Global Petfood

Paul van der Raad brings nearly 30 years of international experience in the pet industry. The former Global Director of Protix BV’s pet division has extensive senior leadership experience, including CEO and board-level roles in several pet food companies. During his career, he has worked across private label, branded products, ingredients, strategy, growth, and global business development. Paul van der Raad holds a degree in International Management from Haarlem Business School and has both Danish and Dutch citizenship.

At REPLOID, he will support the further development of the Group’s global pet activities, with a focus on functional and sustainable pet solutions, ingredients, brands, strategic partnerships, retailer and producer relationships, and profitable growth across the value chain. Paul will also contribute to strengthening REPLOID’s position in circular pet solutions by helping translate innovative and sustainable concepts into commercially relevant market opportunities.

Business Development team strengthened with Lars-Henrik Lau Heckmann and Maurice Brenninkmeijer

Lars-Henrik Lau Heckmann, Head of Business Development & Regulatory Affairs, and Maurice Brenninkmeijer, Head of Business Development & Partnerships, further strengthen the International Sales & Business Development team led by Andrew Bernard.

With more than 12 years of experience, Lars-Henrik Lau Heckmann is a pioneer and industry leader in insect farming. For more than five of those years, he was head of business development for the renowned Big Dutchman Group, a leading systems supplier for industrial insect farms. Lars holds a PhD in biology from the University of Reading.

Maurice Brenninkmeijer is a proven leader in global business development and partnerships, most recently at Protix BV, where he shaped and executed international expansion strategies, including joint ventures and strategic alliances. Maurice holds an Executive MBA from IMD (Switzerland) and has completed advanced sustainability training at the University of Cambridge, combining business leadership with a strong interest in sustainability and circularity.

 

About REPLOID Group AG

REPLOID offers an innovative system for the industrial utilization of regional organic residues from the food industry.

The company builds and services modular and scalable insect-rearing plants for its customers – the REPLOID ReFarmUnits. In these plants, young black soldier fly larvae supplied by the company receive a site-specific feed mix. This mix is developed on the basis of REPLOID’s own research and development using residual materials from the regional food value chain. After rearing, customers either use the larvae and/or their by-products themselves, or REPLOID takes them back for centralized marketing or further processing.

REPLOID sells the reared larvae either directly or, after further processing into proteins and fats, for example, to customers in the animal feed industry. From the by-products of insect rearing (insect frass), the company produces premium organic fertilizer.

With decentralized upcycling on an industrial scale, REPLOID provides an economically attractive solution within the circular economy. Food residues and unused food are utilized efficiently, helping to conserve key resources over the long term.

REPLOID Group AG was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in Wels, Austria. The company has a global focus and has been listed since July 2025 on the Vienna Stock Exchange’s direct market plus segment (ticker symbol: HRX5). The Group employs more than 135 people.

Contact

Hans Lang | Director Group Communications | +43 660 693 45 63 | presse@reploid.eu