ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS — Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. (LDC) announced on Dec. 17 the appointment of Kristen Eshak Weldon as head of food innovation and downstream strategy, effective Jan. 1, 2019.

Weldon joins LDC from Blackstone, where she spent 13 years in positions of increasing responsibility, most recently as senior managing director (partner) and co-head of the London office for Hedge Fund Solutions.

Weldon was head of commodity strategy and was involved in portfolio management as well as hedge fund manager evaluation, selection and monitoring. Prior to Blackstone, she worked in commodity and interest rate derivatives at JPMorgan for several years, in London, England, and New York, New York, U.S. She also served as founding board member of 100 Women in Finance London Ltd. between 2007 and 2017.

In addition to pursuing a Sloan Fellowship master’s degree in leadership and strategy at London Business School, Weldon holds a degree in finance and international business from Georgetown University (U.S.), U.K. and U.S. securities regulatory FCA qualifications, and received several awards over the years recognizing leading women in finance.

“I’m very pleased to welcome Kristen to LDC, as the most recent member of our executive group,” McIntosh said. “She brings a wealth of experience in global asset management and as a strategic adviser, and I am confident that her appointment will contribute to LDC’s successful implementation of our strategic plans and projects to innovate in food and move further downstream, as we strive to meet global demand for food and sustain a growing population.”

LDC is a leading merchant and processor of agricultural goods. The company is active in over 100 countries and employs approximately 17,000 people globally.