I’ve been linked to the turf industry since 2008 and became part of the Tarkett group since 2021 leading the setup of the Tarkett Sports Extrusion plant in Middle East. Before Tarkett I’ve built my global experience, leading multicultural teams for TenCate and Mattex and driving growth across Europe, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and South America. For almost 20 years, the turf industry has shaped my career. I’ve enjoyed steering the industry in how we know it today. I’m keenly continuing to help shaping it to be future proof. We’ve come a long way and still have major opportunity ahead of us to improve it!

Dr. Colin Young has spent over 25 years advancing the science and technology of playing surfaces. After earning his PhD in turf and player testing at Loughborough University, he built a career focused on improving performance, safety, and consistency for sport and outdoor recreation. He later joined Labosport, a global leader in sports surface testing and certification, where he helped strengthen testing methods and validate turf systems against industry norms. Today, Dr. Young is Global Director of Research and Development at TenCate Grass, leading innovation in next generation turf systems with a focus on performance, sustainability, and user experience. He collaborates with universities, research institutes, and sports organisations worldwide. He is also a strong advocate for circular design, improved recyclability, and responsible end of life solutions.