Thursday, 10 September 2020
Denmark's Ørsted, the world's leading offshore wind developer, has appointed Mads Nipper as its next CEO.
It follows an earlier decision by Ørsted’s current CEO Henrik Poulsen to step down from this post and lead the company until 31 January 2021, at the latest.
The change in CEO marks the end of an eight year period for Ørsted under the leadership of Poulsen, who oversaw the transition of a company that was primarily a domestic oil and gas utility (reflected in their former company name, DONG or Danish Oil and Natural Gas) to a world-leader in renewable wind development.
Not to be outdone, Nipper has been credited for the reversal of fortunes for both Danish pump manufacturer Grundfos over the last six years, and Danish toy producer Lego near the start of the millennium where the company suffered from sharp revenue declines in 2003 and 2004.
Mr Nipper, whose resume includes executive roles for various Nordic companies, will assume the mantle of CEO of Ørsted on 1 January 2021. Poulsen will act as special adviser to Nipper during the January overlap period.
Thune Andersen, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Ørsted noted: “With his deep commitment to sustainability and the green agenda, his strong personal leadership, extensive CEO experience and his distinguished track record in leading global companies, the board is confident that Mads Nipper is the right person to lead Ørsted in the next phase of our exciting journey.”
“As one of the five largest renewable energy companies in the world and with a clear ambition to be a leader in the global energy transformation, Ørsted is in a unique position to make a difference in the fight against climate change,” said Nipper in a statement.
Sources