Carlsberg Group appoints new chief executive officer

The Carlsberg Group announces that Jacob Aarup-Andersen will join Carlsberg as chief executive officer, replacing Cees ’t Hart, who will retire by the end of Q3 2023 at the latest. Starting date to be announced later.

Jacob Aarup-Andersen, a Danish, joins Carlsberg from ISS A/S, where he has served as a chief executive officer since 2020. ISS is one of the global leaders in facility management, with 360,000 employees operating in 60 countries globally. At ISS, Jacob has led a financial turnaround and the development of a strategy with a core focus on technology and digitization, sustainability and diversity, and equity and inclusion. During his tenure at ISS, the company has regained its growth momentum, with 2022 results above expectations. Before ISS, Jacob had senior leadership roles at Danske Bank and Danica Pension. Before that, Jacob worked as an investment professional in firms, such as Danske Capital, TPX-Axon Capital, Montrica Investment Management, and Goldman Sachs.

Henrik Poulsen, chairman, Carlsberg's Supervisory Board, says, “As part of our ongoing succession planning, the Board has been through a comprehensive assessment of chief executive officer candidates from around the world, with Jacob Aarup-Andersen emerging as the best candidate. Jacob is an outstanding chief executive officer with a strong track record in delivering shareholder value and organic and inorganic growth in addition to driving the ESG and digitization agendas. Jacob brings a unique blend of excellent strategic skills, financial acumen and discipline, global operational experience, and an engaging and purpose-led leadership style. We are pleased that he'll be leading the next stage of Carlsberg’s value-creating growth journey, and we’re looking forward to welcoming him at Carlsberg.”

Jacob Aarup-Andersen, says, “I’m looking forward to joining Carlsberg, a truly iconic company. I’ve always admired Carlsberg's unique heritage and strong values and look forward to building further on that great foundation. The Group’s strong international presence, as well as its brand portfolio and ambitious ESG agenda, combined with the long-term mindset and the values of giving back to society through the Carlsberg Foundation, are truly inspiring. I’m very impressed with the successful journey that Carlsberg has been on these past years. Cees and the leadership team have created a strong financial and strategic foundation, and I will continue the strong shareholder value focus. I’m looking forward to working with the team over the coming years to further accelerate this unique company's full growth and value creation.”