At De Monchy, we’re proud to shine a light on the people who help shape our business every day—and few embody our values of curiosity, adaptability, and quality quite like Alexandra Crook.

With a background in chemistry and a career that began with an unexpected internship, Alexandra has spent over a decade growing within the industry and within De Monchy itself. From her early days in the laboratory to her current role bridging technical, regulatory, and supply chain expertise, Alexandra has carved out a truly unique path. Her deep knowledge of EU regulations, passion for sustainability, and hands-on experience in production continue to drive value and innovation across the business.

Now serving as Vice Chairwoman of the British Essential Oils Association (BEOA), Alexandra is also playing a leading role in shaping the future of the industry—both within De Monchy and beyond.

Read on as Alexandra shares her journey, insights, and what excites her most about where the industry is headed next.

Q: How many years have you been in the industry, and what initially drew you to it? Can you tell us a bit about your path to De Monchy—how did you get started in this field?

Alexandra Crook [AC]: I’ve been in the industry for about 12 years now, but I actually fell into it by chance. I was doing a Master's in Chemistry when Martin Gill posted an internship opportunity in an industry I’d never even heard of before. I applied and got the position, which involved researching REACH regulations.

When there was any downtime, I ventured into the warehouse in hopes to absorb everything I could about the industry. I must’ve made a good impression, because they offered me a one-year contract shortly after.

At that time, De Monchy was starting to get more involved in production, and I made a few changes to help support that. I was one of only two analysts then, and after that year, they offered me a permanent position.

Over time, I began working more closely with EU flavor regulations—spending hours reading through regulatory texts. Eventually, I transitioned into a buyer role so I could broaden my experience and better understand the supply chain side of the business. That was about 10 years ago, and my role has evolved ever since.

What keeps it interesting is the variety. I honestly don’t know anyone outside this industry who has a job quite like mine.

Q: Over the course of your career, how have you seen the industry evolve?

AC: I think most people would agree that the emphasis on quality has really intensified. The questions we’re asked now have tripled compared to what we used to do to the lab. And I actually like that—it aligns with our company ethos around quality.

We want to be a business that truly understands our products and where they come from. That attention to detail has worked in our favour, especially as the industry leans more toward responsible sourcing and transparency. I also feel really passionate about sustainability—things like reducing packaging waste, cutting back on air shipments, and making smarter logistics decisions, like maximizing container loads. It's about doing our part in a meaningful way, not just ticking a box.

Q: What are some of the biggest changes or trends you've observed in the past few years—or even months?

AC: The biggest trend I see is the impact of global warming on the supply chain and product availability, especially with natural materials. There’s a huge focus now on transparency—customers want to know exactly where products come from, all the way from source to finished product. That level of traceability is becoming the norm, not the exception.

Q: What are you most excited about in the near future—either in the industry or at De Monchy?

AC: Right now, De Monchy has a strong focus on expanding our production capabilities, which really plays to my strengths—understanding the materials and how to use them effectively. It’s helping position us more firmly as a producer, not just a distributor, and I think that gives us a much stronger footing in the industry overall.

In terms of the industry, I was recently named the Vice Chairwoman of the British Essential Oils Association (BEOA). I’ve been on the committee for about three years, so stepping into this role is really quite an honor as well as an opportunity to keep working to modernize how we communicate—getting more active on different platforms and increasing our online presence. I’m really looking forward to learning from BEOA Chairwoman Julie Tampsett as well; it's a great opportunity for my own development. I want to keep contributing ideas on how the association and De Monchy can evolve together.