As announced in the recently published Q2 interim report, the Board of Directors of Chr. Hansen regrettably announces that CFO Søren Westh Lonning has decided to pursue his career outside of Chr. Hansen as CFO of a private equity backed, non-competitive company. Søren Westh Lonning has been with Chr. Hansen since 2007, and has been the CFO since 2015. He will leave his position at Chr. Hansen after the full-year report of the 2019/20 financial year. A search for a new CFO will begin immediately, and will consider both internal and external candidates.
Mauricio Graber, CEO of Chr. Hansen, said: “Søren has been a valued colleague in Chr. Hansen and a valued member of my leadership team. In his more than 12 years with Chr. Hansen, and the last 5 as CFO, he has left a very positive mark on the company and achieved outstanding results. I want to thank him for his time here, and his leadership and contributions will be missed. Most recently I have valued his contributions in leading the strategy review process together with me and in close collaboration with the corporate leadership team. I wish him the best of luck in the next step in his career.”
Søren Westh Lonning, CFO of Chr. Hansen, said: “I am truly grateful for the opportunities that I have been given in Chr. Hansen, and I will certainly miss many talented colleagues from the entire organization. I leave Chr. Hansen with a sense of accomplishment, and I believe the company is in great shape and with an exciting future ahead. I sincerely value the close collaboration with our CEO Mauricio Graber and the corporate leadership team. ”
Søren Westh Lonning will continue to serve on the Executive Board, together with CEO Mauricio Graber and CSO Thomas Schäfer, for the remainder of his tenure with Chr. Hansen, and his successor will replace him in the Executive Board. The Executive Board is appointed by the Board of Directors and is responsible for the day-to-day management within the guidelines and directions given by the Board of Directors.
Chr. Hansen is a global, differentiated bioscience company that develops natural ingredient solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. At Chr. Hansen we are uniquely positioned to drive positive change through microbial solutions. We have worked for almost 150 years to enable sustainable agriculture, better food and healthier living for more people around the world. Our microbial and fermentation technology platforms, including our broad and relevant collection of around 50,000 microbial strains, have game-changing potential. Matching customer needs and global trends we continue to unlock the power of good bacteria to respond to global challenges such as food waste, global health and the overuse of antibiotics and pesticides. As one of the world’s most sustainable companies, we touch the lives of more than 1 billion people every day. Driven by our legacy of innovation and curiosity to pioneer science, our purpose – To grow a better world. Naturally. – is at the heart of everything we do.
