Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, September 2, 2026 – Barentz, a leading global specialty ingredients solutions provider, today announced the appointment of Hakan Polat as Vice President Pharmaceuticals EMEA, effective September 1, 2026.
Reporting to Matt Mitchell, Global Vice President Pharmaceuticals, Hakan will lead the commercial strategy and operations of the Pharmaceuticals business across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, supporting the division's continued growth and strengthening alignment across the region.
The appointment follows the recent confirmation of Matt Mitchell as Global Vice President Pharmaceuticals and marks another important step in the ongoing development of Barentz's Pharmaceuticals leadership structure.
Hakan joined Barentz in 2023 as Regional Sales Director and quickly established a strong Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals business, building a differentiated principal portfolio and delivering consistent commercial growth. With more than 17 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Hakan brings extensive expertise in commercial leadership, principal management, and business development. Throughout his career, he has successfully grown regional pharmaceutical businesses, developed high-performing commercial organizations, and built strong partnerships with customers and principals.
In his new role, Hakan will lead the Pharmaceuticals business across EMEA, working closely with regional teams to strengthen principal partnerships, accelerate commercial growth, expand market opportunities, and further enhance Barentz's position as a trusted pharmaceutical ingredients solutions partner.
"Hakan has consistently demonstrated strong commercial leadership, entrepreneurial thinking, and a deep understanding of our pharmaceutical markets," said Matt Mitchell, Global Vice President Pharmaceuticals at Barentz. "His track record of building businesses, developing customer and principal relationships, and delivering growth makes him ideally positioned to lead our Pharmaceuticals business across EMEA. I am delighted to welcome him into this important leadership role."
Hakan Polat added:
"I am honored to take on this new responsibility and excited about the opportunities ahead. Barentz has built a strong Pharmaceuticals business supported by talented teams, trusted principal partnerships, and a customer-focused culture. I look forward to working closely with colleagues across EMEA to continue driving growth, strengthening our market position, and delivering value for our customers and principals."
The Pharmaceuticals division is an important strategic growth platform for Barentz, serving customers and principal partners across pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, nutraceutical actives, biopharma, and intermediates. Through its technical expertise, regulatory support, formulation capabilities, and global network, Barentz helps customers accelerate innovation and successfully bring products to market.
Hakan Polat, VP Pharmaceuticals EMEA at Barentz
ABOUT BARENTZ
Barentz is a global provider of specialty ingredient solutions for the life sciences and performance materials sectors. We form strong partnerships with customers and principals to deliver high-quality ingredients, technical expertise in ingredient selection and application, and tailored services. Established in 1953, Barentz operates in over 70 countries, through our network of laboratories, sourcing, and formulation centres across EMEA, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. This enables us to serve more than 34,000 customers worldwide, with approximately 2,900 employees and a turnover of approximately €2.38 billion.
Our commitment to responsible business practices has been recognised with a gold rating from EcoVadis®, placing us among the top 5% of companies assessed globally. Guided by our technical expertise, global reach, and commitment to partnership, we remain focused on what matters most: always a better solution. For more information, visit: www.barentz.com.
For further enquiries, please contact: pressoffice@barentz.com