Freya – Senior Lead Auditor Food

The Story

Making food safety work in practice

Based in the Netherlands, Freya works as a Senior Lead Auditor Food within Business Assurance. She audits food safety management systems across the country, supporting organisations in understanding where they stand and how they can improve.

“What makes me proud is helping companies move forward. The most satisfying moments are when companies leave an audit with clearer insights, renewed confidence, and a solid direction for improvement. That’s when an audit really adds value and my work has an impact,” says Freya.

Learning food safety in the kitchen

Freya’s commitment to food safety started long before auditing. She originally trained as a chef, where food safety, hygiene and responsibility were part of everyday work.

“In a professional kitchen, you quickly learn that quality and food safety are non‑negotiable. Those early experiences shaped my mindset and laid the foundation for everything that followed,” she says.

From inspector to auditor

After working as a chef, Freya moved into food safety as an Inspector at the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), where she developed a sharp eye for detail and a strong commitment to public health. Her next step was auditing and that is when she joined DNV, seizing the opportunity to learn and grow in a new role.

“Here I truly learnt the auditing profession from A to Z. DNV gave me a strong foundation, taught me how to audit with integrity and consistency, and shaped me into the auditor I am today,” says Freya.

Leaving – and coming back

After eight years at DNV, Freya spent five years working elsewhere but decided to return.

“Coming back to DNV felt like coming home. So many familiar faces were still around and that says a lot about the people and the culture here. I had missed the strong sense of connection and the real “we” feeling,” she explained.

Why she stays at DNV

Today, Freya is motivated by the combination of purpose, variety and people. Every audit is different, and every organisation has its own story. Knowing that her work contributes to safer food really matters to her. She also values DNV’s focus on sustainable and healthy working conditions, as well as the culture.

“The social side truly matters to me: team outings, the Christmas party, colleagues who genuinely look out for each other. I also really appreciate the monthly face‑to‑face meetings seeing colleagues in person still beats pixels on a screen,” she says.