Dutch dairy cooperative FrieslandCampina will have a new chairman in December as Sybren Attema plans to step down.
Attema will be succeeded by Nils den Besten, who is among FrieslandCampina’s farmer owners and has sat on its board since 2021. The changeover will take effect on 15 December.
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Attema said in a statement that FrieslandCampina is in a “strong position”, despite the pressure on margins seen in the first half of the financial year.
He took on the chairman role in 2021 and has overseen the merger with Belgian dairy peer Milcobel, a business combination first announced in December 2024.
FrieslandCampina said: “Through this joining of forces, the cooperative and the company have gained greater scale and resilience, providing a strong foundation for remaining competitive and agile in the future and continuing to create value for members and customers.”
Attema added: “With the merger with Milcobel and the steps we have taken, FrieslandCampina is now in a strong position. For me, this is the right moment to hand over the chairmanship.
“I have every confidence that Nils, together with the cooperative board and the company’s supervisory board, will provide direction for the next phase, with due regard for the interests of members and the business.”
In the same statement, finance chief Hans Janssen said FrieslandCampina’s first-half results are “being affected by challenging market conditions, including low basic dairy prices and significantly increased milk volumes, which are putting margins under pressure”.
Looking ahead, Janssen said the “priorities for 2026 remain unchanged, with a focus on profitable growth, margin improvement and cost control”.
Den Besten said: “I strongly believe in the strength of our cooperative and company: together, we ensure a leading milk price and stable long-term value.
“As chair, I want to combine direction and pace with transparency, so that members, cooperative and company can continue to build a future-proof FrieslandCampina together.”
Meanwhile, FrieslandCampina said its current CEO, Jan Derck van Karnebeek, has been appointed for a second term effective from 1 June 2027.
