HAMLET PROTEIN is gearing up for global growth with the appointment of Kjeld Johannesen, outgoing CEO of Danish Crown, as chairman of the board effective Jan. 1.
Johannesen will take the top seat at the board table after 27 years of driving Danish Crown. Under his leadership, the farmer-owned cooperative has become the world’s biggest pork exporter and the largest meat processing company in Europe.
The search for a new board chairman began after Altor Fund IV and Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division acquired HAMLET PROTEIN in September. Both investing partners recognize great opportunities to take the company to the next level as a global leader in proteins for young animal nutrition.
According to CEO Søren Munch, the new chairman has exactly the right experience and competences to support HAMLET PROTEIN in realizing that potential.
“Kjeld Johannesen brings a valuable combination of Danish knowhow and a global mindset. With his strong focus on internationalization, he has built one of Europe’s leading food companies,” says Munch. “Danish Crown has also given him a rare understanding of the challenges farmers face when optimizing the efficiency of their pig production. Many of them are the same challenges that HAMLET PROTEIN helps farmers solve using tailored ingredients for young animal feed.”
After 45 years in the meat production business, Johannesen looks forward to seeing and working with a new aspect of the industry.
“HAMLET PROTEIN has proven that it has an important role to play in the international meat production industry,” he says. “Having followed the company from the sidelines over the years, it is an exciting challenge for me to take part in its future growth and development
