Kees Aarts

Founder and CEO of Protix

Kees Aarts is the founder and CEO of Protix, the leading developer of smart insect-based technologies that convert organic byproducts into valuable nutrients and proteins for animals and humans. A frequent speaker at international forums — including the 2017 World Bank spring meetings, the World Economic Forum general meetings in Davos, Switzerland, and the 2018 World Government Summit in the United Arab Emirates — Kees is widely recognized as a visionary and innovator in the food and feed industry thanks to his work in reimagining global food supply chains.


Aarts is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Future Council on Food Security and Agriculture, serves on the board of The Shadow View Foundation, and is a member of the Druid Collective. Prior to founding Protix, Aarts trained as an aerospace engineer and worked at McKinsey. He received a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Delft University in the Netherlands.