Leadership starts with people: how Joana is steering Phycom forward.
From a PhD at TU Delft to CEO of a growing fermentation company. Joana knows how to turn strong technology into a strong organisation.
After nearly eleven years at DSM, where she rose to Global Commercial Operations Director, Joana made the move to the startup world. As CEO of NutriLeads, she built the commercial side of an innovative ingredients company from the ground up. That is exactly the combination Phycom needs.
When Phycom was looking for a COO, it was Daphne who put Joana forward. It quickly became clear that her profile went beyond that role, and so she stepped in as Interim CEO. Phycom develops a new fermentation technology for algae: a growing market with strong nutritional benefits and a clearly distinctive position.
"You need to organise yourself. These are our people, these are our machines. Clarity and structure, that is the foundation for everything that follows."
The technology and the market are there. Joana's focus is on the organisation itself. "It always comes down to people. You can have great technology, but you also need to be able to move as an organisation in a professional way. What is our culture, do we have the right internal structure, and are we all heading in the same direction?"
She started as Interim CEO, but the line between interim and permanent blurs quickly at Phycom. In the startup world, uncertainty is the norm and permanent contracts are rare. In practice, it makes little difference to her. "When I'm interim, I feel like a permanent employee anyway," she says.
What drives her as a leader has become clear over the years. "It's not about what you do, it's about how you do it. It's about behaviour and mindset." She believes strongly in people who want to learn, more than in people with a perfect CV. And as a leader, she sees herself as a coach: someone who encourages people to bring out the best in themselves, even when that means having a difficult conversation. "It's about trust and honesty. You need to encourage people, but also be clear when things can be better."
About Phycom, she is straightforward. "This company has enormous potential, and I am genuinely excited to grow here." That Daphne brought her and Phycom together is exactly what DUPP stands for: the right people in the right place.