Unless otherwise indicated, these references were first published on my LinkedIn page.
I had the great pleasure of working with Taco Tuinstra at 2Firsts, and I can confidently say he is one of the most knowledgeable and dedicated professionals in the tobacco and nicotine industry.
Alan Zhao, CEO, 2Firsts
Taco is one of the rare journalism professionals in today’s nicotine field—someone who combines deep industry insight with journalistic integrity and precision. He brings with him a wealth of experience and a profound understanding of the global tobacco landscape.
His passion for journalism is evident in every piece he writes; from topic selection to final publication, his work consistently demonstrates top-tier professionalism and editorial excellence.
He is highly adaptable and quick to learn, easily integrating into new work environments and team cultures. At the same time, Taco is a true team player—respected and loved by colleagues for his professionalism, collaboration, and generosity of spirit.
For me, Taco has been more than just a colleague. He is a partner in journalism—and a friend.
I can’t say enough about Taco. Taco is simply put a tremendous trade journalist with a keen instinct for taking the mundane and making it special. He phlegmatic and cool under pressure. He’s smart. He’s a great writer and has a knack for distilling complex concepts into a digestible story. Taco’s a global citizen with a passion for traveling and learning. His dedication to his craft and his colleagues is unmatched. He’s quite simply one of the best journalists I’ve ever met.
Christopher Greer, president & CEO of the Nicotine Resource Consortium
As the publisher of the global tobacco industry’s leading trade journal, Tobacco Reporter, I had the pleasure of working with Taco Tuinstra for nearly three decades. Taco joined our organization as assistant editor in 1997 but quickly climbed the corporate ladder, serving in several editorial functions of increasing seniority. By the end of 2024, when our parent organization decided to discontinue Tobacco Reporter, Taco was vice president and chief content officer.
Elise Rasmussen, chief director of the GTNF Conferences and past publisher of Tobacco Reporter.
During his tenure, Taco put together an unrivaled team of staff writers and editorial contributors spread over six continents. Impressively, he recruited the top editors of Tobacco Reporter’s two biggest competitors and integrated them smoothly into our organization.
Even as his management responsibilities mounted, Taco remained heavily involved in our journal’s day-to-day operations. While setting strategy and directing the editorial staff, he continued to publish his own articles, interviewing farmers, CEOs and government ministers in more than 80 countries. This practice, he insisted, not only allowed him to keep a finger on the industry’s pulse but also helped him quickly identify topics requiring more in-depth coverage.
As an editor, Taco excelled at streamlining copy while retaining the unique voice of each author. He was always ready to share his insights, patiently explaining the reasoning behind edits and empowering junior reporters to achieve their full potential. Averse to micromanagement, he considered himself an enabler rather than a boss.
In his writing, Taco was the ultimate storyteller, continuously exploring new ways to keep readers engaged. For example, when the owner of a logistics company asked Tobacco Reporter to help him explain to the industry why it is so expensive to move tobacco over relatively short distances in Africa, Taco hitched a ride on a tobacco truck and took his audience on a riveting journey from Lilongwe, Malawi, to the port of Beira in Mozambique.
Taco’s African odyssey went on to win top awards in a prestigious editorial competition among global B2B publications organized by Trade, Association and Business Publications International, as did several other pieces of his original reporting.
Taco’s dedication, expertise and passion for trade journalism served Tobacco Reporter well not only in artistic terms but also from a commercial viewpoint. In addition to delighting readers and jurors, his commitment positioned Tobacco Reporter as the undisputed market leader in our industry, allowing the sales department to command nearly double the advertising rates charged by our closest competitor.
Taco is the ultimate professional and I value the many years we worked together!
Taco is well-organized and considerate of contributors’ schedules. Assignments consistently arrive in plenty of time to meet the due date and are often accompanied by helpful suggestions for story angles, potential sources and contact information.
Stefanie Rossel, journalist, content strategist and communication expert
When applicable, Taco is always happy to make introductions, facilitating my work.
Taco is a conscientious editor who can tighten up copy without altering the author’s unique ‘voice.’
Taco goes out of his way to make remote contributors feel part of the team. Although we were based on different continents, he always took time to look me up when in or near Germany.
I had the privilege of working as an assistant editor under Taco’s direction for several years, and he has been one of the most supportive leaders I’ve worked with. His generosity, patience and guidance have made me a better journalist.
Marissa Dean, content manager, copy editor, writer
When handing out assignments, Taco did not just provide a topic, word count and deadline; he also provided suggestions for story angles, lists of potential sources and introductions. When editing my work, Taco always took time to explain his thinking while encouraging me to challenge any decisions I disagreed with.
Taco not only taught me the ins and outs of a complex and controversial industry, but he also showed exceptional understanding and encouragement as I learned, made mistakes and grew. His leadership was characterized by empathy and professionalism. Taco created an environment where people felt valued and were motivated to do their best work.
For more than a decade, I reported directly to Taco in creating content for the various TMA media formats, including both online and print. Taco was critical in keeping the deadlines in focus, and planned well so a project never felt overwhelming. He was always available to offer the insight and guidance that made our editorial department such a success. Taco would make an excellent addition to any company seeking a highly qualified editor.
Timothy Donahue, journalist, editor
Taco is an innovative, creative and thoughtful writer and editor and a courageous reporter. Taco is also well-versed in international business practices and customs and an experienced international traveler, and he explores new ways of telling journalistic stories using digital media. Taco consistently demonstrates excellence in editorial planning, publication oversight, budgeting and personnel management.
Matt Mullen, Foundation Office Administrator
Taco and I studied journalism in Utrecht (Netherlands). I still think of him as the the most gifted of my generation. He has superb writing skills, is a sharp observer, and on top of that he is capable of deliver constant brilliance, something I lack myself. I am convinced he will win more awards, for his own writings and for the work his pupils produce.
Remco Pijpers, youth and digital technology specialist
Whenever I assigned a story to Taco, I never had any concerns. He always turned in exceptional copy — thoroughly researched and crisply written. He’s a fantastic reporter and editor.
Chris Glass, healthcare client executive at Pegasystems
I write to introduce Mr. Taco Tuinstra and his considerable writing talents to you.
Mary Ann Panek, publisher, Sandhills Living
I have had the honor and pleasure of working with Taco at Parks Newspaper’s newest publication, Sandhills Living.
Sandhills Living was published from January 1996 through July 1996. We were a feature-oriented newsmagazine with a local community focus.
Taco was instrumental in the start-up phase of the publication for developing several standard feature concepts. Within the space of several months, Taco had earned a reputation in the community and a solid readership base. He averaged several “fan letters” per story.
Taco has a great talent for developing story angles and bringing people and events to life for our readers. English is not his native language, yet that has proven to be an asset rather than a hindrance. He does not “butcher” the language; he uses it as it was meant to be. His writing has never failed to delight.
I cannot recommend him strongly enough. Whoever hires him hires a treasure.
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From April to July 1996, Taco Tuinstra worked under my direct supervision, at Sandhills Living, a twice-weekly features/lifestyles newspaper in Southern Pines, N.C. I was managing editor and Taco was features editor until Park Communications closed the newspaper on July 22, the same day Park announced its entire chain’s sale to Media General of Richmond, Va.
John Myers, managing editor, Sandhills Living
During that relatively brief period of time, I came to respect greatly Taco’s talents as a feature writer and photographer. In photography particularly, I found that a very minimum of instruction and guidelines from me improved his skills greatly, progressing from “mugshots” to shooting scenic photographs with good composition and excellent use of color.
Taco’s writing skills are his most impressive strength and he needed very little instruction or assistance from me and no criticism. I never rewrote a single one of his features, and in all cases, a very minimum of proof-reading was required. His only lapses were in the finer points of the proper written use of English. This also improved dramatically during this short time and I never had to give him any instruction but once.
In my 21 years in weekly and daily newspapers as a writer and editor, I can honestly say I never worked with a young writer with better skills and a more serious work ethic than Taco Tuinstra. My only regret is that our working relationship did not continue longer, which is certainly no reflection whatsoever on Taco.
The decision to close Sandhills Living was made entirely on a profit/loss basis, according by Park officials, who launched Sandhills Living in March and gave up on it far too soon, in my humble opinion.
I highly recommend Taco Tuinstra for any writing/photography position for which you may be considering him, with no reservations.
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Taco Tuinstra 