A loaf of bread shared around the table. A pastry that makes an ordinary day feel special. A piece of chocolate savoured until the last bite. These are moments people cherish, and Laurence Herbert believes they can mean even more. Her vision for the future of bakery, patisserie and chocolate is one where better nutrition and sustainability become part of everyday indulgence, without sacrificing the taste, creativity and craftsmanship that make these foods so loved.
As Chief Marketing Officer of Puratos, the Belgian-founded food ingredients group serving bakers, patissiers and chocolatiers in more than 100 countries, Laurence gives that belief practical reach. The youngest CMO in Puratos’ 100-plus-year history, she champions its purpose, Food Innovation for Good, connecting consumer needs, scientific expertise and innovation to benefit customers and the wider industry.
Contributions to the industry
Her most significant contribution began as Health & Well-Being Director. Laurence helped establish better nutrition as a strategic priority, bringing science, product development and marketing together around a shared vision. Crucially, she helped translate that vision into a measurable ambition: 50% of Puratos’ turnover from Health & Well-Being products by 2030. That share has already reached 32%.
These commitments matter because their impact extends across the industry. From independent artisans to bakery chains, retailers, foodservice operators and global manufacturers, Puratos helps customers create products with less sugar, fat or salt, more fibre or fruit, and appealing plant-based alternatives. Each innovation offers an opportunity to improve what consumers eat every day while preserving the taste, texture and creativity they expect.
Working with consumers
Understanding consumers is essential to making these innovations relevant. Through Taste Tomorrow, Puratos’ global consumer insights programme managed by the Marketing Intelligence team within her organisation, Laurence helps customers anticipate changing expectations around health, sustainability and indulgence. By sharing these insights and encouraging collaboration, she enables producers of all sizes to develop innovations that consumers want and businesses can successfully bring to market.
Within Puratos, Laurence strengthens the people and capabilities behind this ambition. She established its first global Marketing Academy, empowering more than 320 marketers to collaborate across functions and help customers turn Food Innovation for Good into practical solutions.
Laurence won European Marketer of the Year 2026, while Puratos became the first B2B winner of Belgian Marketing Company of the Year in 2025. Both award cases demonstrated the impact of purpose-driven innovation and marketing.
For Laurence, the real measure of success goes beyond awards: it is a baker proud to offer a more nutritious loaf, a patissier creating healthier indulgences, and families enjoying the foods they love, knowing that better choices no longer have to mean compromise.
