Change to the Executive Leadership Team
Rainer Lehmann will join Novozymes as new CFO and EVP as Lars Green has decided to step down to pursue a non-executive career.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark – May 4, 2023. Today, Novozymes is pleased to announce that Rainer Lehmann has been named CFO and EVP and that he will join the company no later than on November 1, 2023. Lars Green has decided to leave the company for personal reasons effective no later than at the end of 2023 and after a good and solid handover.
“Rainer is a proven global CFO with a superior track record of delivering results and creating value. After a targeted global search process, I’m excited to welcome Rainer to Novozymes. He is a high-impact executive who brings strong strategic and capital allocation disciplines, sharp operating skills, and transformational leadership abilities. He will be a strong partner to me and the whole organization as we execute on our integration plans with Chr. Hansen and drive our operating results to secure Novozymes for sustainable, long-term value creation,” says Ester Baiget, President & CEO.
As CFO, Rainer will lead Novozymes’ global finance organization and financial activities including business finance, accounting, shared services, tax, and treasury, as well as IT, legal affairs, and investor relations. Rainer will be based at the head office in Denmark.
Rainer Lehmann has established strong financial acumen and international, strategic leadership in the broader biopharmaceutical market. He has spent a total of more than 20 years at Sartorius, a global German DAX40 company with revenues of EUR 4.2bn and close to 16,000 employees. His tenure with Sartorius includes 6 years as CFO and a member of the Executive Board, where he has played a key role in transforming the company into a leading international partner of life science research and the biopharmaceutical industry. He was responsible for Finance, IT, Data- and Business Process Management, Corporate Sourcing as well as the PMI Office. Additionally, Rainer commands strong international experience and has spent roughly 17 years in the United States.
“I’m very excited to join Novozymes, a true leader in its field and a company with strong ESG purpose and focus. Novozymes’ team, technology, diversified portfolio, and global reach are impressive, and I’m thrilled to join at a time of significant opportunity for the company and its stakeholders to realize the full potential from combining with Chr. Hansen. I look forward to working with Ester and the team to move Novozymes forward on its financial, operational, and transformational journey while delivering on the revenue and cost synergies, and even more so to drive an accelerated long-term growth journey,” says Rainer Lehmann.
Novozymes CFO Lars Green steps down to pursue a non-executive career
After four years with Novozymes as CFO and EVP, Lars Green has decided to step down to pursue a non-executive career, with no plans to take on a future executive role.
“I’ve been in dialogue with Lars regarding his considerations of pursuing a non-executive career and spend more time with his family. To ensure continuity and a smooth transition, and in parallel to the dialogue with Lars, I initiated the search for a new CFO together with the Board. I’m delighted that we’ve now found the ideal candidate for the position and that we have a solid transition plan in place,” says Ester Baiget, President & CEO and continues:
“Lars Green exemplifies the culture, spirit, and dedication of our entire organization. During his many years with Novozymes both as a member of the Board and most recently as a trusted and professional colleague as our CFO, he has been a resilient, respected leader across the organization. He has been instrumental in developing and executing our segmentation strategy, furthering our efforts to make Novozymes a more focused commercial biotech company. Most recently, he has been a key enabler of the combination with Chr. Hansen, and I would like to thank Lars both personally and on behalf of Novozymes for his service, dedication, and contributions. Lars has been a co-pilot and partner to me and to Novozymes, and I will miss him and his professionalism, but I nonetheless also understand his decision.”
“On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Lars for his dedication and expertise during his time with Novozymes. Lars has been an important component to bring us to the excellent shape we are in. I wish him the best of luck in his future non-executive career. At the same time, I’m very excited to welcome Rainer Lehmann as CFO. Rainer has all the qualities we as a Board could wish for, and I look forward to working with Rainer to drive the future success of Novozymes,” says Cees de Jong, Chairman of the Board.
Lars Green will leave the company following a smooth handover to Rainer, and no later than by the end of 2023.
“It’s been a very difficult decision for me, and I’ve made this decision for personal reasons, as I’ve increasingly had a desire to pursue a non-executive career and spend more time with my family. I will miss Ester, my team and all the fantastic Novozymes colleagues immensely, but I know this is the right decision. I will stay with the company to secure delivery of the full year commitments as well as the continued execution of the closing of the combination with Chr. Hansen, including time for a good and solid handover,” says Lars Green.
