Dr. Jan Maat

Jan Maat (1952) studied chemistry at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands, where he also received his PhD-degree (cum laude). He worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the group of Prof. Herbert Boyer at the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) (U.S.A.). From 1988 until 1997 Jan Maat held a special chair as Professor of Biotechnology at the VU University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Jan Maat joined the Unilever Research & Development Laboratory at Vlaardingen in 1980. As a trained molecular biologist he worked for many years in the area of Biotechnology. The last years he was the section manager Bio- & Immunochemistry. In 1991 he moved to more applied research by taking leadership of the Bakery Products section and became later responsible for the Bakery R& D program. From 1999 until 2000 he was Head of the Innovation Centre Bakery at Aartselaar in Belgium. After the sale of the Bakery Division he moved into his current function. Since Dec1, 2008 he is the Managing Director of the Top Institute Food & Nutrition in Wageningen, the Netherlands. Jan Maat is currently Director External Research (Foods) Jan Maat and as such responsible for the External Research Strategy for Unilever Foods Research.

Jan Maat is also a Board Member of the ETP Food for Life, he is the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation European Masters Degree in Food Sciences and a member of various Advisory Boards of Universities.