THIS IS WHO WE ARE
Our passion is to create the perfect stage for your culinary products to gain maximum visibility and navigate you through the various challenges of entering new markets for sustained success.
FoodEmbassy offers a unique 360° service approach in the food industry: We advise on import and distribution. We implement marketing, PR and social media campaigns. We develop e-commerce concepts for your products and assist you with market research projects. Event & trade show planning as well as food photography & recipe development are also part of our wide portfolio.
HAMBURG
BERLIN
MÜNCHEN
Headquartered in the German food metropolis Berlin, we partner with specialists in Hamburg, Munich and around the world. We always have our finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest developments in food, food tech and agri-food.
To serve the needs of global markets and bring the unique selling points of international products closer to consumers, we have assembled an exceptional team of culinary ambassadors who work to ensure the success of our customers' market entries.
TEAM
Our team consists of specialists in the areas of communication, design & photography, e-Commerce and retail. We are all united in our passion for the arts of food and provide many years of experience in successfully planning and implementing food related projects.
HOLGER BÖCKNER – FOUNDER & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Holger Böckner is the managing director & founder of FoodEmbassy.
He holds degrees in economics and cultural management and looks back on more than 15 years of experience in the global communication business. Initially active in marketing and PR for the motion pictures industry, numerous theatrical hits were successfully marketed under his leadership.
In 2016, he left the world of the red carpets in favor of his passion for food. At first as a restaurateur, he brought the Canadian street food icon »Poutine« to Germany.
In 2020, Holger initiated the »Taste of Canada« campaign with the Canadian Trade Commission and founded the FoodEmbassy agency to professionally manage his new ventures in the field of culinary diplomacy. He is also part of the Canadian government’s Global Mentor Program, which supports food & beverage companies entering foreign markets.
FYNN HUCH – NETWORK & PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT
Fynn Huch is FoodEmbassy’s head of partnerships.
During his university studies of ecotrophology with the specialization for food economics he gained experiences in the areas of food law, quality management and product development.
After graduating, Fynn worked for EDEKA, Germany's largest retailer. He was part of EDEKAs Food Starter division, a special company branch within the purchasing department that enables food startups to enter the shelves in the EDEKA world.
Next to his work for FoodEmbassy, Fynn manages the German Food Startups platform and is linked to over a thousand food startups and always has the best overview of current product trends. He is also the managing director of Retalos, a company for vending machine sales in food retail.
In addition, Fynn is on the board of the Crowdfoods association, where he is responsible for partnerships and social media. He is instrumental in organizing the annual summit and events such as the Food Startup Night Berlin.
GENEVIÈVE PILON – CULINARY DIRECTOR
Geneviève Pilon is FoodEmbassy’s culinary director.
Geneviève was born in the east end of Montréal and studied Hotel Management at the prestigious Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, excelling in cooking and menu creation classes. Her diploma in hand, she began working at the Sofitel Hotel, a Montréal five-star Accor establishment, which paired upscale French cuisine with regional Québécois products.
Europe being the Mecca for foodies, she moved to Berlin at the age of 29, and started working for Aveato, a national award winning business caterer. Her creativity and craftsmanship was quickly noticed by the Swiss owners of the company, who soon offered her a position as »Head of Product Creation«.
Geneviève greatly enjoys driving culinary innovation. A chef with heart and vision, she is continuously inspired and genuinely loves her craft and the art of cuisine.
GILG FRICK - CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Gilg Frick is the founder and managing director of the creative network NPIRE and has been active in the creative sector for almost 20 years. In 2005 he began his studies at the HfG Schwäbisch Gmünd in the field of communication design, the same year he also founded NPIRE. Since then, he has realised various projects under the umbrella of NPIRE, undertaken creative experiments and founded agencies. NPIRE is more a vision than just a company and constantly changing. In addition, Gilg holds stakes in different companies and works as a consultant, mentor and speaker at events, lectures and workshops on the subjects of entrepreneurship, brand and creativity.
LAURA HUTTER - INFLUENCER RELATIONS & EVENTS
Laura is our event & influencer marketing expert.
She has been gaining experience in the core hospitality and F&B sectors for over 15 years and has positioned herself as an expert in social media strategies, content creation and influencer marketing for the past six years.
As a strategist and manager of over 90 Instagram channels, a TikTok channel and over 200 influencer collaborations, Laura understands the importance of having a strong social media presence to build and grow as a brand. With her nationwide network of chefs, influencers and restaurateurs as well as agencies, she can ensure that her clients always find the right partners to successfully spread their messages.
JULIA MURRAY – HEAD OF PR & SOCIAL MEDIA
Julia Murray is our specialist for PR & social media.
She holds a degree in communication design and is an experienced copywriter and photographer with a special love for food, drink and gastronomy-related topics.
In 2012, she decided to trade the vibrant city of Berlin for a life on a farm in the Canadian Rocky Mountains foothills. Just outside of Calgary, in a town called Okotoks, she raised chicken and grew loads of fruits and vegetables. She also worked in client and contributor relations for iStock by GettyImages and as an occasional food and restaurant photographer for a local magazine and restaurants.
After fighting off foxes, numerous skunk attacks and bear encounters the city called and in 2015 she moved back to Berlin. Here she has worked as a consultant and photographer for various PR agencies with a focus on food & beverages.
INGA BRUNS - RETAIL MANAGEMENT
Coming soon.
CULINARY AMBASSADORS
FREYA CHOI - AMBASSADOR SOUTH KOREA & EAST ASIA
Freya Choi is our ambassador for relations to South Korea & east Asia.
Freya Choi has a strong international background, specializing in bridging Asian and European markets including the food industry since 2016 living in Berlin.
As an AsiaBerlin Ambassador, she actively connects Berlin and Korea's startup ecosystems, offering valuable insights for global collaborations. Additionally, she has experience working for three different accelerators for startups.
With her deep understanding of the food tech landscape, Freya influences future value and partnerships, effectively bridging international markets.
SAMER GHORAYEB - AMBASSADOR LEVANTE & MIDDLE EAST
Samer Ghorayeb is our ambassador for relations to Levante & Middle East.
Samer was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and currently resides there. He holds university degrees in mass communication and has prior experience with multinational firms such as Saatchi & Saatchi and DDB Levant. In parallel, he has executed several communication projects for prominent humanitarian associations and NGOs in the Middle East. Samir lived in Berlin, among other places, where he ran a delicatessen for culinary specialties from the Middle East.
A decade ago, Samer also transformed his family's old house in the center of Beirut into a guesthouse that has since become a landmark for travelers wishing to visit Lebanon sustainably. During this time, he developed strong relationships with numerous Lebanese food producers and artisans, assisting them in promoting their products, both locally and internationally.
DR. APAR JAIN - AMBASSADOR INDIA & USA
Dr. Apar Jain, MBA, is our ambassador for relations to India & USA.
He is an entrepreneur with global experience. He started his career in academia after graduating from IIT Delhi in India. After significant experiences in several European countries and the USA, he settled in Germany. He founded his first startup in the e-commerce domain in Frankfurt in 2015 and has since grown his network to almost all continents. His network includes the business network from Kellogg School of Management in the US and WHU-Otto Beisheim School of management in Germany. He was also an advisor of the German government as an elected Municipal Councillor for the city of Heidelberg.
He has worked with businesses in several fields and helped their expansion, connecting right partners and helping them enter new markets. Thanks to his multidisciplinary education and multicultural experience, he brings an understanding approach to multiple parties at discussions.
Apar loves cooking food and is a conscious consumer of food cuisines from around the world. His current focus is to bring value to the food industry & its supply chain with mutual diplomatic respect via FoodEmbassy.
MARK LEINEMANN - AMBASSADOR SWITZERLAND
Mark Leinemann is our ambassador for Switzerland and supports us in the areas of market research, strategy development and innovation.
Born near Cologne he spent his youth at the Lake of Constance, studied Media & Communication Economics (B.A.) and lives with his family in Kreuzlingen/Switzerland.
He is founder and president of crowdfoods – the first association of innovators and startups in agriculture, food, gastronomy & food retail in the DACH region. Mark started in 2012 his agency and consultancy „MR. WOM'' for customer made marketing. Since 2022 he brings innovations from farm to fork „to the streets' ' with his „NewFoodFarm” consulting agency and helps food brands to grow and succeed.
Mark’s focus is on marketing strategy and implementation, new business development and transformation. He has worked for many SME and Corporate FMCG brands like Unilever, Maggi, Maredo Steakhouses, Bertolli, Ricola. Besides his main profession he organizes food B2B conferences & exhibitions, works as speaker, startups coach and mentor and guest lecturer at several universities.
Mark is a close partner of FoodEmbassy, and in collaboration we implement projects focused on innovation and market research.
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