Kaffe Bueno Appoints Thomas Durhuus as Chief Executive Officer
- Kaffe Bueno
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Copenhagen, February 1st 2026
Kaffe Bueno today announced the appointment of Thomas Durhuus as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 February, as the company enters its next phase of growth focused on scale and impact.
“We are delighted to welcome Thomas Durhuus as CEO. His deep experience in industrial biotech and proven ability to build and scale businesses position him well to lead the company into its next phase and accelerate its long-term ambition,” says Marcel Lubben, Chair of the Board.
Thomas brings more than 15 years of leadership experience across industrial biotechnology, ingredients, food, personal care, and health. He has held senior roles in both global companies and high-growth startups, combining strong commercial acumen with deep operational and scale-up expertise. Throughout his career, he has built and led cross-functional teams, holding P&L responsibility, overseen capital-intensive operations, and worked closely with boards, founders, and investors.
“I am excited to join Kaffe Bueno at such a pivotal moment in its development. The company has built a strong foundation, a compelling platform, and a talented team with a clear mission. I look forward to working closely with the founders, employees, and Board to scale the business, strengthen our market position, and build a company with lasting impact,” says Thomas Durhuus.
The appointment follows a planned leadership transition. After eight years leading Kaffe Bueno as CEO and co-founder, Juan Pablo Medina has transitioned from his executive role as the company enters its next phase of growth. Juan was instrumental in building Kaffe Bueno from concept to commercial stage and remains a significant shareholder. After eight years of building Kaffe Bueno, Juan has decided to take a well-deserved break before pursuing new ventures. The Board and co-founders thank him for his foundational contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors. Juan will continue to support Kaffe Bueno as a major shareholder.
As part of this transition, co-founders Camilo Fernandez and Alejandro Franco, who have served as Interim Co-CEOs, will return to their respective roles as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Commercial Officer. Together, they welcome Thomas to the team with great enthusiasm and look forward to continuing to build Kaffe Bueno’s next chapter alongside him.
With a strong foundation in place and new leadership at the helm, Kaffe Bueno is well positioned to scale its impact, strengthen its market presence, and realize the full potential of its platform, enabling the development and scale-up of a wide portfolio of active and functional ingredients. Up to date, personal care has been its primary market, which has seen launches such as KAFFOIL® - a more sustainable alternative to argan and jojoba oils; KLEANSTANT® - an innovative anionic surfactant; and KAFFAGE® - a multifunctional active biopolymer with clinically proven benefits for anti-wrinkles and SPF-boosting.
About Kaffe Bueno
Kaffe Bueno is a Danish bioscience company that upcycles coffee by-products into high-performance, active and functional ingredients for personal care, nutraceutical, food, and industrial applications. Founded in 2016, the company uses green chemistry and biotechnology to unlock the full potential of coffee by-products and accelerate the transition to more sustainable, natural solutions in everyday products. Kaffe Bueno is headquartered in Copenhagen and is a certified B Corporation.
Media Contact
Marketing & Branding Lead | Noomi Mikkelsen | noomi.mikkelsen@kaffebueno.com
