After 33 years at Chr. Hansen, 14 years in executive management and eight years as CEO, Lars Frederiksen has decided to step down as CEO of Chr Hansen Holding as of 31 March 2013, in order to devote more time to non-executive board positions. Frederiksen says: “Chr Hansen is a fantastic company, and I am proud of my 33 years with the company and for having had the privilege of being CEO for the last eight years where we continuously have transformed and improved the company. I have decided to move on and among other things to dedicate more time to board work.”

The board of directors has appointed Cees de Jong as new CEO of Chr Hansen Holding as of 1 April 2013. de Jong has held positions ranging from Gist-Brocade in the Netherlands, to DSM. In 2000 de Jong joined Campina as president for the industrial products division, and from 2003 to 2007 he worked for Quest International as group vice president and head of the flavour division. In 2007 he joined Crucell, and as COO, he led the company through a transformation process to become a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company until 2011 when the company was acquired by Johnson & Johnson. He serves as a non-executive member of the board of Protein Sciences Corporation (US).

Chairman of the board of directors, Ole Andersen comments: “I am happy that we have been able to recruit Cees who brings a unique combined knowledge of Ingredients and biopharmaceuticals. I am convinced that he is the right person to take Chr Hansen to the next level.”