Oliver Kromer

CEO

Base Level Candidate

Tell us about yourself

Proudly holding a university diploma in my hands, I joined the family’s business in 1998. With a staff of 20 today, ImperialOel has been involved in the omega-3 industry for over 20 years. Partnering with manufacturers from Norway, Japan, China, Australia and the US, we have been active in fish oils and concentrates for soft gels, fish and microalgal oils for functional foods as well as microencapsulated omega-3 oils.

To me, the omega-3 universe has been fascinating from the start: So many great people to meet and so many perspectives to be explored. May it be the chemistry of lipid oxidation, omega-3’s health effects, sustainability considerations for fish stocks, or consumers’ preferences for certain dosage forms: Once I turn one page of the omega-3 book, yet another interesting story shows up.

My private diary, at chapter 52, is a lot about family, friends, traveling and a surfboard and a kite.

Why are you running for the Board of Directors?

Joining GOED in 2011, I have been an active member of the Regulatory Committee for many years, providing (hopefully useful) input as well as learning a lot from peers. As a member of the recently set up By-laws Committee, one learning for me was: Base and Plus members contribute over two-thirds of GOED’s fee income but have very little say about GOED’s strategy, projects and budget spent. This, I felt, should be improved.

As a Board Director, key goals for me would be:

- Make sure GOED’s projects and strategies are sufficiently reflecting Base members’ interests.

- Increase participation for non-Leadership-level members on budget decisions.

- Improve membership services and benefits for Base members.

For being a good representative, most importantly for me would be to best learn about Base member companies’ specific needs, requests and ideas. For your inspiration, below are some areas which in my very personal opinion would be worthwhile looking into:

- GOED EPA/DHA intake recommendations: In the last few years, relevant national authorities and scientific societies have increased recommended intakes for EPA/DHA and added new target groups. An update to the GOED recommendations from 2017 to me is long overdue.

- Special applications: Omega-3s for the different life stages (from conception to high age) and for prevention of specific diseases/conditions (e.g. mental decline, arthritis, preterm delivery) may be put a stronger focus on.

- Geographical focus: GOED’s set-up and activities still are strongly US-driven. Strengthening GOED’s work and presence in Europe and particularly Asia I would find valuable.

Finally, however you may feel about this application — or that of any other potential candidate — your engagement and feedback is crucial for GOED to do a good job. Please vote!