We’re pleased to share two new leadership appointments at Fermentis, announced by our General Director, Thomas Lesaffre. Effective 1 June 2026, Jianing Shi has been appointed APAC Sales Director, and starting 1 July 2026, Barbara Rabourdin assumes the role of Global Marketing & Communications Director.
“I am delighted to welcome Jianing and Barbara to the Fermentis Leadership Team. They are both highly accomplished leaders in their fields, whose experience will provide great support and leadership to our business as we embark on our next phase of growth and development,” said Thomas Lesaffre.
Jianing Shi brings extensive experience to Fermentis. As APAC Sales Director, she will lead our commercial strategy across Asia-Pacific, overseeing sales, technical services, marketing, and communications. Jianing will work closely with regional teams to align local initiatives with Fermentis’ global vision, supporting beverage producers of all sizes in scaling quality and driving innovation.
Jianing graduated from Tianjin University of Science and Technology with a Master of Food and Nutrition Hygiene and a Bachelor of Bioengineering. She started her career at DuPont China as an Application Specialist before joining Fermentis in 2017 as Area Sales Manager Greater China. In this role, she led Fermentis growth in mainland China, Hong Kong , and the Taiwan region in all our targeted segments (industrial brewing, craft beer, wine, spirits, and coffee).
“It is with a deep sense of responsibility that I step into this new role. My goal is to support our talented teams so that, together, we can bring the full potential of fermentation solutions and technical expertise to beverage producers of all sizes across the APAC region,” mentioned Jianing Shi.
Barbara Rabourdin will build and drive Fermentis’ global marketing and communications strategy. Her leadership will ensure that customers and partners worldwide have a clear understanding of Fermentis’ innovative solutions and technical services portfolio, while her focus on marketing customer-centric solutions and services will drive growth across all segments and markets.
Barbara holds a degree in Agri-Food Engineering and Marketing from the Institut Supérieur d’Agriculture de Lille. With more than 20 years of experience, including roles in product management at Lactalis, category management, and innovation leadership in agri-food and cosmetics, Barbara brings a wealth of expertise. Since joining Lesaffre in 2023 as Global Product Manager at Fermentis, she has played a key role in driving growth across all our target segments: beer, wine, spirits, cider, and coffee.
“I am deeply honored by the trust placed in me. Thanks to the expertise and commitment of our regional and global marketing and communications teams, Fermentis is well positioned to advance our ambitious vision for the beverage industry. Together with our distributors and partners, we will continue to drive innovation and deliver meaningful solutions and services for our clients worldwide,” added Barbara Rabourdin.
At Fermentis, we support beverage producers of every size, from home craft brewers to large industrial clients, with high-performance fermentation solutions and technical services. Welcoming Jianing and Barbara to our leadership team reinforces our commitment to delivering high-quality, innovative, and customer-focused solutions and technical services that help our partners thrive in a dynamic and evolving market.