Argent Energy has appointed Erik Rietkerk as its new CEO. He takes over leadership of Argent from the former managing director, Jim Walker, as the company continues to expand its biodiesel manufacturing footprint and following the company’s recent agreement to acquire Biodiesel Amsterdam and Tank Storage Amsterdam.

Rietkerk comes to Argent from Amsterdam Commodities, a listed trading company in the Netherlands, where as CEO net profits increased by more than 40 percent and the share price nearly doubled over four years. His experience in growing and integrating multi-asset operations and optimizing process industry businesses in oils and fats, oleochemicals and biodiesel, makes him an ideal fit for Argent Energy at its current stage of development.

Owned by John Swire & Sons, Argent Energy is involved in large-scale commercial biodiesel production in the U.K. The award-winning firm makes its clean, green road fuel by recycling wastes and residues from other industries—specifically waste from the food industry and tallow from the meat industry. It has also pioneered the use of low-grade waste fats and oils such as “fatbergs” from the U.K.’s water industry. Its recent agreement to acquire Biodiesel Amsterdam will more than double Argent’s contribution to the sustainable decarbonization of transport and consolidate the company reputation as a leading waste-to-biodiesel specialist. 

Prior to joining Amsterdam Commodities, Rietkerk was managing director of Wilmar’s agribusiness in the Netherlands and prior to that a managing director of Mabanaft, Hamburg.