Following the appointment of flavor and fragrance veteran Greg Robertson as president, Penta is doubling down on customer engagement, regulatory strength and technology-enabled supply chain agility. Penta
Following the appointment of flavor and fragrance veteran Greg Robertson as president, Penta is doubling down on customer engagement, regulatory strength and technology-enabled supply chain agility. At the same time, CEO Mike Size is expanding the company’s supplier alliance strategy to accelerate innovation, shorten lead times and bring next-generation ingredients to market faster.
In this Q&A, Robertson and Size discuss how customer expectations are shifting, where supply chain innovation is becoming as important as ingredient innovation itself, and why the next phase of growth in F&F will reward companies that operate as fully integrated strategic partners.
P&F+: Greg, you've built your career helping grow businesses across the flavor and fragrance ingredients sector. What do you see as the biggest shifts currently reshaping customer expectations, and how is Penta positioning itself to help manufacturers navigate those changes?
Robertson: The biggest shift I have seen in customer expectations is the move away from arm’s length, transactional vendors towards true strategic partners. Customers today need supply partners who can help them manage supply chain complexity and risk – not just by delivering dependable supply, but by integrating with their systems, optimizing vendor-managed inventory programs, supporting their regulatory requirements seamlessly, and much more.
As regulatory requirements in the F&F industry have evolved and grown more complex generally—along with what customers expect of their strategic suppliers in that area—Penta has invested significantly in our regulatory team and supporting systems so we can respond quickly and effectively.
The pace at which technology and autonomous systems are being integrated into the F&F supply chain is remarkable, and Penta Fine Ingredients has invested heavily here in 2026. We have focused on implementing new systems and emerging technologies to improve our speed and agility. In a fast-moving business like ours, we believe that will separate Penta from our competitors and elevate us to the strategic partner of choice for our customers.
P&F+: Mike, Penta has emphasized strategic supplier alliances as a key growth driver. How are partnerships evolving in today's F&F landscape, and what qualities are you looking for in suppliers that can help create value beyond simply providing ingredients?
Size: We are building and expanding supplier alliances where we together dramatically reduce product lead times, regardless of the physical supply chain distance. We are also working with suppliers who are capable of developing innovative new materials. Penta has a history, for example, of making new FEMA-approved materials available to our broad customer base.
P&F+: As demand for innovation accelerates across flavors, fragrances, and adjacent markets, where do you see the most compelling opportunities for growth over the next three to five years, and how will Penta's expanded leadership team help capitalize on them?
Size: The market continues to move to natural and naturally derived materials. Penta is working hard to enhance our portfolio in these areas, including partnerships and acquisitions.
Robertson: The next three to five years will reward companies that pair product innovation with innovations in supply chain efficiency and agility. New ingredients will always drive growth, but I believe the greatest opportunity lies in the speed and efficiency with which you bring those products to market.
We've watched the demand for natural ingredients, clean formulations and sustainable sourcing accelerate over the past decade. The companies that win will be the ones that are first to market, first to scale, first to capture supply chain efficiencies, and first to navigate regulatory challenges. They need supply partners that are agile and efficient—partners who do not just supply ingredients, but integrate with their systems, collaborate on supply chain optimization, and help simplify their business model.
At Penta Fine Ingredients, we want to be more than a supplier. We want to be a global, strategic supply chain partner for our customers.
