New Company CEOs For Orkla Confectionery & Snacks
In order to strengthen competitiveness and create new opportunities for growth in its Confectionery & Snacks operations, Orkla is now establishing a single company in each country within the business area and new company CEOs have been appointed.
The restructuring means that KiMs Norge, Sætre and Nidar in Norway are being merged into one company. In Sweden, OLW and Goteborgs Kex are being merged to form a single company, and in Finland Chips and Panda will become one company. In Denmark, KiMs will continue to operate as a separate company, as will Latfood in Latvia.
“By creating one dynamic company per country, we are now strengthening our competiveness and creating new opportunities for growth in the Nordic region. We must be optimally equipped to do battle with strong international players. By merging our existing companies, we will create greater scope for innovation within and between categories,” says Orkla President and CEO Åge Korsvold.
Göran Schultz, who is currently CEO of the Chips Group, has been appointed acting Executive Vice President and CEO of the business area Orkla Confectionery & Snacks. He will hold this position until Christer B Aberg takes up the post on or before 1 August 2013.
A CEO has been appointed for each of the new companies. Ann-Beth Freuchen will become CEO in Norway. She is currently CEO of KiMs Norge. In Finland Pasi Flinkman, now Country Manager of Chips, will become CEO of the new company. Göran Schultz will be CEO in Sweden. Ann-Beth Freuchen, Göran Schultz and Pasi Flinkman will take up their new posts with immediate effect. In Denmark, Kim Munk will continue in his position as CEO of KiMs and in Latvia Valdis Blums will continue as CEO of Latfood.
In the coming weeks, Orkla’s intentions as regards the company structure in each country will be discussed with trade union representatives. The aim is to reach a conclusion in the course of May. Furthermore, new management teams are to be put in place for each of the companies in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
Orkla Confectionery & Snacks is one of five business areas in Orkla. At the end of 2012, the business area had a turnover of around NOK4.8 billion. In 2012, Orkla’s turnover totalled approximately NOK30 billion.
