Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli has announced that its new chief executive Dr Adalbert Lechner will assume office on 1 October 2022.
Lechner joined Lindt & Sprüngli in 1993 and currently serves as the CEO of the company's German subsidiary and is a member of the group management team.
In March of this year, chief executive Dr Dieter Weisskopf decided to step down from the role of group CEO and hand over the reins to Dr Lechner.
In January of this year, the company reported a 14.2% increase in group sales, to CHF 4.59 billion (€4.42 billion) in its financial year 2021, despite an 'economically challenging year' due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic.
Group Management
Elsewhere, the company has appointed Daniel Studer as member of the group management, effective 1 September 2022.
Studer is a company veteran who started his career at the Swiss subsidiary of Lindt & Sprüngli 19 years ago.
During his tenure, he held various leadership roles in sales, followed by the position of head of international sales at the group’s headquarters.
In 2009, he was named country manager of Lindt & Sprüngli Mexico. After two years in the role, he transferred to the USA, where he was first appointed vice-president of sales, followed by CEO of Lindt & Sprüngli USA in 2016.
Recently, the company published its 2021 Sustainability Report and added that it has extended its farming programme to include cocoa butter and two new countries of origin: Peru and Ivory Coast.
