Jeroen Derks
Operating Partner
Mr. Derks is an international business leader with an excellent track record in the dairy and whey industry. He brings 30 years of industry experience, holding senior roles in general management, strategy, sales, operations, and investments and expansions.
Before joining AS Equity Partners, Mr. Derks was on the Board of Directors of Sachsenmilch Leppersdorf GMBH, the largest single dairy factory in Europe, with 1,8 billion liters of milk processed per annum and 2,300 employees, and part of Unternehmensgruppe Theo Muller.
From 2010 to 2017, he held various senior leadership roles, including commercial director and general manager of Sachsenmilch GmbH’s Milk & Whey Ingredients business unit. Under his leadership, the Müller family made a €70 million investment to upgrade their whey and dry products plant, transforming it into a state-of-the-art production facility with a focus on cleanliness and sustainability.
Mr. Derks is passionate about coaching high-performing leaders, teams, and organizations. He is well-known as the “leader who drives for results, does not take no for an answer, and is not afraid to get his hands dirty.” Mr. Derks enjoys working in different cultural settings and speaks fluent Dutch, German, French, and English.
Career Overview
2009 – Present
Founder & Managing Director, Lil BV
2016 – 2017
President European Whey Processors Association
2015 – 2017
Board of Director, Sachsenmilch Leppersdorf GMBH
2012 – 2017
Managing Director, Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller
2010 – 2012
Commercial Director, Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller
2008 – 2010
Commercial Director, Interfood B.V.
2004 – 2008
General Manager, Fonterra Co-operative Group
1991 – 2004
Director, G van Den Bergh Nijmegen BV
Education & Qualifications
1990 – 1991 Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam)
Post Grad., International Marketin
1989 – 1990 Stichting Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Studiën
Export Management
Languages Dutch, English, German, French, Spanish