The European Marketing Confederation announced Laurence Herbert, Chief Marketing Officer, Puratos as the winner of the European Marketer of the Year 2026. Herbert, who hails from Belgium, was crowned at the award ceremony held in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 23rd.
Marketing associations across Europe nominated their National Marketing Champions, and these top ten European marketers competed for the title (see finalist list enclosed).
The award was presented during the LiMA CMO Summit Awards Ceremony in Vilnius tonight, recognising one of Europe’s most influential and forward-thinking marketing leaders.
Selected from a highly competitive field of ten national marketing champions from across Europe, Laurence Herbert impressed the independent international jury with her strategic vision, international impact, and ability to elevate marketing as a driver of business transformation, innovation, and sustainable growth.
Second place was awarded to Marco Greco from Switzerland. Grecois Head of Marketing at Ochsner Sport. The third place went to Stijn Mentrop-Huliselan from The Netherlands, Chief Marketing Officer at McDonald’s Deutschland LLC.
Dr. Ralf Strauss, Chairman of EMC, said:
“The European Marketing Confederation (EMC) is proud to announce that Laurence Herbert, Chief Marketing Officer and member of the Group Executive Committee at Puratos in Belgium, has been awarded the prestigious title of European Marketer of the Year 2026.
This award celebrates more than professional excellence – it celebrates leadership that shapes the future of business and society. Across Europe, marketing has become a driving force behind innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable value creation. Laurence Herbert represents this evolution perfectly: she combines strategic intelligence, visionary leadership, and business impact at the highest level.”
Martin Huisman, Chairman of the Jury, added:
“This year’s finalists represented the very best of Europe’s marketing profession, making the final decision exceptionally difficult. Laurence distinguished herself through her unique ability to connect brand building, innovation, customer-centricity, and commercial performance. She demonstrates what world-class modern marketing leadership looks like.”
Accepting the award, Laurence Herbert said:
“I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition from the European marketing community. I have always believed that marketing has the power to create meaningful value—not only for businesses and customers, but also for society. This award reflects the dedication, passion, and talent of the teams I have had the privilege to work alongside throughout my career.”
Laurence Herbert is widely recognised as one of Belgium’s leading marketing professionals. In her role at Puratos – a global food ingredients company operating in more than 100 countries – she has helped strengthen the company’s global brand, customer-centric approach, and reputation for innovation and sustainability. She is also an active thought leader and frequent speaker on consumer trends, brand transformation, and the future of B2B marketing.
The European Marketer of the Year Award is organised annually by EMC to celebrate the outstanding contribution of marketers to their organisations, economies, and society. Supported by fourteen leading European marketing associations, the competition showcases the strategic importance of marketing and inspires the next generation of business and marketing leaders.
About EMC:
EMC is Europe’s largest marketing organization, representing over 100.000 marketeers across fourteen national associations in Europe and our members are jointly reaching 1 million social-media followers and over 5 million unique visitors on their websites. As a non-profit organization, EMC works with its member associations to promote Education, Social guidance, and Value creation to marketing associations and the marketing profession all over Europe.
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