Meet our team
Chief Executive Officer
Randi Wahlsten

Randi has worked in the food industry for over 10 years in all areas of the industry and in many parts of the world. This included working at Arla Foods, helping them to launch plant-based alternatives and establish a leading position in digital marketing and database-driven category management in Denmark. As sustainability became her passion, it eventually led to her using her expertise to lead the direction of MATR Foods.

Production Manager
Efraín Hernandez Morales

Efraín is Production Manager at MATR Foods and runs production with dutiful dedication. He uses his knowledge of gastronomy and food technology to ensure that MATR Foods maintain our high standards of quality. Efraín is a tireless seeker of improvement, for both our staff or the consumer.

Head of Production Development
Nikolaj Fackler Madsen

Nikolaj’s many years of experience in the kitchen, his passion for fermentation and his background as an industrial technician led him to Matr, where he has been an integral part of the company from the very beginning. Nikolaj believes that nature-driven technology is the sustainable future that Matr Foods has a role in helping to create.

Head of Product Development
Eric Heilig

Eric is an R&D specialist and innovator, working on all aspects of food, flavour and fermentation. He worked as a chef for over a decade in some of the best restaurants in Europe and most recently for Empirical in Copenhagen, where he developed a range of fermented spices and sauces. Eric brings a unique and flavour-driven approach to product development,  along with his experience in taking formulas from the development stage to large-scale production.

Science Advisor Co-founder
Leonie Johanna Jahn

Leonie has been studying and working in microbiology internationally for more than a decade. Her work is motivated by two drivers: a deep curiosity to fundamentally understand the world and the wish to serve society and the world with this understanding. Her knowledge on microbiology, mycology and fermentation guides our product development towards future stages.

Communications Assistant
Emil Kleis Boll

Emil has had a lifelong passion for food, sustainable food and culinary geekery. Since joining as an intern on his BA of Nutrition and Health, he has had a hand in many sectors of MATR Foods. As a Master’s student at Integrated Food Studies, Emil has subsequently worked to immerse himself in the food field on many different fronts: cooking, teaching, planning and hosting food events to name a few. At MATR Foods, he works with conveying the story of MATR through text, media and events.

Science Coordinator
Iván Rosano

Ivan is the Science Coordinator at Matr. In this role, he actively contributes to the creation and documentation of the company’s intellectual property. He is engaged in projects focused on improving both upstream and downstream operations at the site. Ivan plays a crucial part in generating valuable process data essential for scaling up production.

Lead Product Developer
Lucas Oliveira

Lucas is innovating new products as well as doing product development and testing, bridging the gap between current production and future ambitions at MATR Foods. A trained fine dining chef, having worked at Blue Hill and Amass, he is now also involved in recipe development and all things food related for events, bringing his passion for food to bear.

Head of Sales
Sune Olsen

Sune has extensive commercial experience in FMCG from the food industry, HORECA, OOH, on-trade, and off-trade markets in both national and international companies such as Unilever, at a strategic, tactical and operational level. He comes to MATR Foods with an in-depth knowledge of sales and key account execution and is the driving force behind our sustainable growth strategy.

CSCO
Jens Termansen

Jens is a food industry veteran who has worked with perfecting and optimizing production for many years. He brings a wide field of knowledge to MATR Foods. As Chief Supply Chain Officer, he plies with considerable knowledge and skill to plan and create the future of MATR Foods production facilities. As production requirements grow, Jens is at the heart of designing our upscaling efforts, putting solutions into action.

QA Lead
Andreas Dørum Hansen

Andreas is leading the quality assurance at MATR Foods, overseeing control procedures, inspections, testing, and regulatory compliance to ensure our food products. With a sharp eye for detail and a commitment to excellence, he brings extensive experience to guarantee MATR foods products meet the highest quality and regulatory benchmarks.

R&D Assistant
Tine Møller Vestergaard

Tine manages quality control and HACCP, conducting experiments for future products and collecting and analysing data on sensory analysis. A cooking and fermentation nerd, she uses her knowledge of such disciplines, her BA in Nutrition and Health, and her current Master’s programme in Integrated Food Studies to maintain our high quality standards.

Research & Project Manager
Katharina Henn

Katharina is our Research and Project Manager. She holds a Ph.D. in Food design and Consumer Science, coupled with a background in food engineering. She is a wizard in project management, providing crucial support in production development, grant funding, and communications. Katharina’s passion for sustainable lifestyles, plant-based foods, and creative stuff fuels her commitment to shaping MATR’s future by devising environmentally conscious and innovative solutions.

Production Supervisor
Miikka Inkinen

Miikka is the right hand man in our production, making sure that the production is operational and ongoing. He manages the processes and practicalities of making our product. Miikka also works in translating the practical knowledge and improvements of our production into documentation for the future. With a background in culinary management and working across the food service industry, Miikka firmly believes fermentation to be a key technology in the transition to a plant-based future.

Scientific Student Assistant
Katerina Honzu

Katerina is our resident DTU student assistant, studying towards MSc and Eng. Degree in Food Technology. She has a lifelong fascination with microbes and their ability to transform food, and a desire to help change the food industry. Katerina assists with various tests crucial for scaling-up efforts. She also runs tests at DTU Biosustain, leveraging both professional experience and education in microbiology to perform tests and data analysis, aiming to improve our current product.

Production Assistant
Babis Statheropoulos

Babis is an essential production assistant from Greece with a degree in Horticulture. His caring personality makes sure that each task is done to the highest of standards and that the microbes have exactly what they need to thrive. He is welcoming in production and always has a pun ready to go. When he’s not at Matr, he is studying hydroponics or listening to rock music.

Production Assistant
Simone Trevisani

Simone is a core production assistant from Italy with a degree in Communications. His passion for the arts and good music means he is the designated Matr DJ and is a such an essential member of the team. Simone works extra hard to make sure production runs smoothly and strikes the right balance of speed and attention to detail, catching errors and keeping the team on track. When he is not at Matr, he is enjoying a museum, festival or Taylor Swift’s latest album.

Production Assistant
Eugert Gjini

Eugert is a dedicated production assistant from Greece with a degree in Civil Engineering. His engineering background shines in optimizing processes in production, and is always looking for the next solution. Eugert works extra hard and makes sure the production and packaging goes as planned, so that the products going out on time . When he is not at MATR, he is enjoying basketball in the park or going on long walks with Diego.

Production Assistant
Diego Gonzalez

Diego is a key production assistant from Argentina with a degree in Business Administration. He is a true optimizer who is always looking for ways to make production more efficient. Diego is more than willing to share his knowledge along with a sneaky joke, and is always the first to say good morning. He is a born leader who knows when to work hard and when to play hard. When he is not at Matr, he is exploring Copenhagen with his wife, or going on long walks with Eugert.

Production Assistant
Franco Enzo Marconi

Franco is a crucial production assistant from Argentina who sets the standard and holds the team accountable. He has a work ethic that shines through in the production. He does every task with purpose and sets an example. Franco makes sure that the team enjoys some time off-the-clock together and makes Matr a great place to work. When he is not at Matr, he is preparing for the next asado or enjoying a cold beer in the sun.