Givaudan announces CEO transition as Gilles Andrier prepares to retire
This transition represents a significant milestone for Givaudan as it balances honouring its rich 250-year heritage with aiming for ambitious future growth under new leadership.
SWITZERLAND – Givaudan has announced that its CEO, Gilles Andrier, will retire, effective March 1, 2026, after serving in the role for 20 years and contributing more than 30 years to the company.
Christian Stammkoetter, currently President Asia, Middle East, and Africa at Danone, has been appointed as his successor.
Alongside this transition, Givaudan’s Chairman Calvin Grieder will also step down at the 2026 Annual General Meeting, with Gilles Andrier proposed to succeed him as Chairman, ensuring continuity in leadership.
During Andrier’s tenure, Givaudan experienced significant growth, expanding its workforce from 5,900 to 16,900 employees and nearly tripling sales from CHF 2.7 billion(USD 3.37 billion) to over CHF 7.4 billion(USD 9.23 billion), while market capitalization increased more than sixfold to CHF 36.6 billion(USD 45.65 billion).
His leadership solidified Givaudan’s position as a global leader in fragrance, beauty, taste, and wellbeing sectors.
The Board highlighted Stammkoetter’s extensive international experience, including his leadership in the FMCG sector, as well as his proven ability to drive sustainable growth and foster innovation.
The leadership transition aligns with Givaudan’s new 2030 strategy, which focuses on sustainable growth, expanding into high-growth markets, and venturing into new adjacencies, such as biotech beauty actives and pet food ingredients.
Andrier expressed pride in his legacy and confidence in Stammkoetter to lead the company into its next phase.
Givaudan H1 FY25 financial highlight
Givaudan recently reported sales of CHF 3,864 million(USD 4.84 billion) for the first half of fiscal year 2025, marking a 6.3% increase on a like-for-like basis and a 3.4% rise in Swiss francs compared to the same period last year.
According to Givaudan, this growth was driven by strong performance across all business units, geographies, and customer groups, with notable outperformance in the Fine Fragrance segment and a 10% like-for-like increase in high-growth markets.
The company’s net profit reached CHF 592 million (USD 742.78 million), slightly up from CHF 588 million (USD 735 million) the previous year, with a stable net income margin of 15.3% of sales.
Givaudan’s two main divisions showed significant growth: the Fragrance & Beauty division’s sales rose 8.6% like-for-like to CHF 1.955 billion (USD 2.44 billion), while the Taste & Wellbeing division increased by 4.1% to CHF 1.91 billion(USD 2.39 billion).
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