A Conversation with Founder & Chief Impact & Innovation Officer Olaf van der Veen
There’s a difference between expanding into a region and actually being there.
As APAC becomes a key focus for Orbisk, we’re not scaling from spreadsheets. We’re walking kitchens, standing beside chefs during service, and sitting down with teams who care deeply about doing things right.
Founder & Chief Impact & Innovation Officer Olaf van der Veen recently spent several days on the ground across APAC. Between hotel visits, operator conversations, and a few jet-lagged breakfasts, he found something powerful: momentum.
We sat down with him to talk about what he saw, felt, and learned.
You’ve just returned from APAC. What stayed with you most?
“The energy.
I went from quiet nights in nature straight into cities that don’t slow down. It’s intense in the best way. Once you tune in, you realize every city has its own rhythm. If you try to force your own pace, it pushes back. If you move with it, everything flows.
That’s what those days felt like, finding the rhythm of the region.
In kitchens, I saw something familiar and new at the same time. Breakfast rush looks like breakfast rush anywhere in the world. Banqueting pressure is universal. But the level of discipline and attention to detail in APAC operations is impressive. Teams are sharp. Focused. Curious.
And food waste? It’s not a side topic. It’s a serious one.”
What are operators telling you?
“They’re not debating whether food waste is an issue. They know it is.
What struck me is how personal the topic feels. In many APAC markets, awareness of scarcity is closer to the surface. There’s deep respect for ingredients and for the work that goes into every dish.
So when we talk about eliminating waste, the response isn’t polite interest. It’s commitment.
People want to fix it. And they’re ready to act.”
Is APAC different from other regions in how they approach the problem?
“Yes, and in a good way.
Teams here ask detailed questions. They want clarity. They want to understand exactly what’s being wasted, how much, and when it happens. No vague summaries. No assumptions.
That’s where the Orbi fits naturally into their flow. It tracks what’s wasted, how much, and when, automatically, right where the waste happens.
Give a precise team precise information, and they move fast. You can feel that happening.”
Was there a moment where you thought, “This is really working”?
“A few, actually.
Hearing Novotel Century describe our team members, Kristie and James as the most sincere and committed supplier contacts they work with meant a lot. That’s how we want to show up, not as a device in the corner, but as a partner in the kitchen.
Another moment was visiting one of the region’s most renowned hotels. Hyper-premium service. Huge scale. A serious zero-waste ambition woven into the concept itself. And Orbisk quietly running as part of the daily routine.
That’s when it hits you. This isn’t theory. Hotels worldwide are already reducing food waste by up to 70% with Orbisk. The shift is happening inside real kitchens, during real service.”
From your perspective, why is APAC so important right now?
“Because of the scale and the mindset.
The region is growing fast. Hospitality is evolving quickly. And the willingness to do things properly is strong. When you combine operational excellence with the right tools, impact multiplies.
And the impact is tangible. Every kilogram of food wasted equals €7 lost, 4.5 kilograms of CO₂ emitted, and 7,000 liters of water used. Eliminate that waste, and the difference is immediate.
But what excites me most isn’t the numbers.It’s the conversations. The pride. The sense that this matters.”
What happens next?
“We stay close.
We deepen relationships. We support teams. We build long-term partnerships. Orbisk has already helped kitchens save millions of kilograms of food, and APAC is ready to accelerate that impact.
There’s something special happening in this region. Not hype. Not talk. Real operational change.
The era of food waste is ending.
And APAC is stepping forward to lead it.”
