Norwegian conglomerate Orkla has appointed four of its divisional heads to the group’s executive board.
From 1 June, Orkla’s executive board will comprise acting president and CEO Åge Korsvold, and the heads of its four business units.
Atle Vidar Johansen, head of Orkla Foods Nordic, Jan-Ove Rivenes, chief of its non-food FMCG arm in the Nordic region, Pål Eikeland boss of its food ingredients unit and Paul Jordahl, who leads its international branded division, will join the board.
The executives will join vice presidents Terje Andersen, Karin Aslaksen, Karl Otto Tveter and Håkon Mageli on the board, giving it totalling nine members.
“Orkla will now have a group executive management with solid branded goods expertise and a dedicated corporate centre to serve the branded goods companies. Orkla is thereby taking an important step towards transforming the group into a pure branded goods company,” said Orkla acting president and CEO Åge Korsvold.
Orkla appointed Korsvold as acting president and chief executive earlier this month after Bjørn Wiggen announced his resignation after 19 months in the role.
Stein Erik Hagen, chair of Orkla’s board of directors said the main reason for the change was “a disagreement between the board and Bjørn Wiggen as regards ways of working”.
As part of its plans to divest aluminium business Sapa, Orkla also said the company’s CEO Svein Tore Holsether has been “relieved” of other group functions and is “withdrawing” from the board in order to “concentrate fully” on Sapa and the current processes in the company.
