New Managing Director of Arla Sweden announced

Cecilia Kocken, currently Head of Global Food Service in Arla will join Arla Foods Sweden as the new Managing Director from the 1st April 2023 following the resignation of Kai Gyllström.

Commenting on the appointment, EVP and Executive Board Member Peter Giørtz-Carlsen said: “I am delighted that Cecilia is returning to the Swedish market as Managing Director. Arla is an important and respected business in Sweden with a reputation of driving innovation that puts customers and consumers at the forefront. Cecilia’s combination of commercial, brand and Food Service experience, her collaborative leadership and her commitment to driving growth through innovation made her the ideal choice to succeed Kai Gyllström and take the Swedish business to the next level. Cecilia’s appointment is testament to the strong leadership pipeline in Arla Foods and I am looking forward to working with her in her new role.”

In her time as Head of Food Service, Cecilia created a global team that is driving excellence in the Food Service sector, stepping up on digital services and creating strategic partnerships with Chefs globally. The fact that this has been achieved at a time when the global Food Service sector has been adjusting to the post-covid realities and a volatile global market is even more impressive.

Before joining Food Service, Cecilia was Head of Milk, Yogurt and Milk-based Beverages in Arla Sweden. In this role, she created a high performing organisation which developed a leading sustainability position for the Arla brand, established The Barn as an in-house media and content agency and transformed the Milk Based Beverages range. Before joining Arla, Cecilia spent 12 years in leading positions at P&G.

Following her appointment, Cecilia said: “I am really looking forward to returning to the Swedish business and taking on this challenging and important role. We have an amazing team in Sweden which leads the sector in innovation and customer centricity. I am excited to be leading the team on the next step in our journey as we deliver our Future 26 strategy, working hand in hand with our farmer owners on critical issue like sustainability. I’ll be sad to leave the Food Service team and am very proud of the whole organization, the results they have delivered and the commitment they have to delivering growth. I am confident that the strong FS leadership team will continue the journey we have started”

Kai Gyllström will leave the Arla Sweden business on 30 April to ensure a full handover. Peter Giørtz-Carlsen, said: “I would like to thank Kai for his contribution to Arla Foods since he joined in 2009. From leading our business in Saudi Arabia, setting up our Global Food Service Business, heading up Finland and latterly leading Arla Sweden. Kai’s dedication to the business, colleagues and farmer owners has always been 100 percent. I have appreciated his calm head and his leadership over the many years we have worked together. I am sad to see him leave and wish him the best in his new role.”

Commenting on leaving Arla, Kai said: “It’s been a real privilege to have worked for Arla over the last 13 years. I am grateful for the many opportunities Arla has given me, including most recently, leading the fantastic Swedish business. I’d like to thank the many great colleagues I have worked with over the years for their support, professionalism and passion to always deliver the best. It was a difficult decision to leave Arla after so many years, but I am looking forward to taking the next step in my career, relocating back to Finland to join the listed company Atria as CEO, an iconic branded Finnish food company with a long heritage.”

Cecilia’s appointment leaves a vacancy as Head of Food Service and the process to find her successor has started.