Mariska Hooijer

As R&D Manager at Garvo, Mariska is responsible for everything related to feed: from recipes and labels to packaging, advice, and product information. She develops and designs new products, adapts existing formulas, and also provides business advice—to companies and even zoos, among others.

What makes her job so enjoyable is the enormous variety. She works with countless animal species, from parakeets to camels and from chickens to zebras, and no two questions are the same. The creative process of developing new feeds and interacting with customers makes every day unique. A successful workday is when questions from customers or colleagues have been answered, and everyone can move on with the right information.

Fun fact: Garvo produces feed for a wide range of animals, which find their way from Lochem in the Achterhoek region to places all over the world—from Aruba to South Korea.

Her love for animals began at a young age on the family farm. There, she worked with all kinds of animals daily, and that passion continued to grow. At home, there were always guinea pigs and rabbits—and later, horses and chickens were added. During her Animal Management studies at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences in Leeuwarden, she discovered her interest in animal nutrition, which ultimately led to her role at Garvo.

At home, she shares her life with two dogs: Bailey and Mec, and two rabbits.